Life is all numb3rs
by tavingtonsbeauty
Summary: Don Eppes is a born leader and works for the FBI. He never thought his work would lead him to the woman of his dreams or put her & his family in danger. This story combines episodes with original work. Please read&review if you want. Thanks! Enjoy!
1. The secret

1600 6

years guardians

2 1

killers artifact

They were finishing dinner. The two agents in the safe house room were sitting down to play cards with two grad students.

The other four people in the room were talking quietly among themselves as they sat on the couch. One woman stood up and walked to the back room. Another headed to the powered room leaving the two young men to chat to themselves. The women looked about the same age, but one had her hair red brown hair in a bun, wore glasses, and wore a business skirt and suit. The other had short cropped mousy hair and wore a t-shirt with blue jeans.

Esperanza looked like one of her students, but dressed like a professor. She looked about one of the two bedrooms in the suite. She was sipping tea as she looked at the window. Her reflection looked back as she thought about being here under Hodges recommendation. At only a petite five – four she was like a mouse compared to some of the men here, but she could take them on if necessary. She touched her bun and sighed as she looked at the LA skyline.

Outside on the balcony was another agent keeping guard. Six more were around the safe house and they were in constant contact with each other by their radios talking quietly. Nothing seemed out of place…

Suddenly the door burst open. An agent jumped up making to protect the girls near him as he drew his gun, but he fell to gunfire in seconds. The girls screamed.

Esperanza came out of the bedroom and grabbed Lizzy's hand as she came out of the bathroom and pushed her back in as she saw the carnage about them. So many…so many were dead and dying or going to die… She locked the bathroom door and backed toward the tub as the sounds of shooting and the groans of pain were heard out in the apartment.

The shooters drew a knife as he caught one of the card playing girls as she tried to run screaming for help and slit her throat dropping her to the ground instantly as he cut nearly to the spine.

Esperanza looked and saw the window. She wrapped a towel about her arm and shattered the window. She looked up. "You have to jump Lizzy."

Lizzy was her best grad student and a good friend. She nodded and jumped up on the sill and then down. She rolled and then snapped up looking up at Esperanza for guidance.

"Run!" Esperanza barked as someone came to the door. She heard Arabic spoken outside and jumped herself cutting her arm on the glass and leaving part of her suit jacket. She landed on her ankle wrong and she felt and heard it crack badly.

Yelping she ducked down as she heard the door being blown with a shotgun and then angry Arabic voices. She made herself small under some crates out of sight from them above her. She saw them as they looked out barking in Arabic to each other as they held their guns.

When they ducked back in she ran off in the opposite direction as Lizzy using an emergency ladder to get up to a roof though it was very painful. She then sat against a vent and removed her jacket as she ripped her shirt and made a bandage. In the distance she heard the sirens…too late.

Megan Reeves was the first on the scene with David Sinclair. Next was Colby Granger as they looked at the carnage wrought on the "safe house".

Five agents had been murdered. Two outside the door of the suite. Two others were injured. Worse. Those they were supposed to protect were murdered as well. Most had had their throats slit and lay about the room like broken dolls where the killers had dropped them.

Don arrived and winced as he pulled on his gloves seeing the two agents shot multiple times at the door. "What the hell happened?"

"Men stormed the room. We got seven agents down. Five of them are dead. Four others that we were guarding were also killed." Megan said looking about as she stood in the center of the crime scene with Don.

Colby was knelt looking at the IDs found on the people. "Mindy Crispin, grad student Cal-Sci. Alex Dorr, Professor of Cal-Sci. Jesse Donnaly, grad student Cal-Sci. Lastly Will Jennings, Adjunct professor of Cal-Sci. They all have school IDs Don."

"Hell of a thing to take out so many kids from a university." Don said. "And in such a way." He said as he looked down at Mindy's face. She had gotten the furthest away. He touched her face seeing the shocked look that was forever in her open eyes.

The agent in charge came in with his arm bandaged by the medic outside. He took a breath. He had been the first to be shot at down the hall, but had fallen and cracked his head against a door when hit. He paled seeing what had happened. "Oh my God…"

Don moved and grabbed him. "Hey…Jordan. It isn't your fault. You were outgunned and no one expects this at a safe house. They came for war."

Agent Jordan took a breath. "Doesn't really help much Eppes." He looked again. "A student and the lead professor are missing."

"Agent Eppes?" A CSI called.

Don and the shaken lead agent went to the bathroom. Don noted the door had been blown by a large caliber round to the lock. He looked at the CSI in the bathtub. The man nodded to the shattered window and lifted a scrap of cloth from a glass shard. "Looks like someone dashed out here. Could be out killers…could be the missing. I will dust for prints and take the blood sample there."

"Good work." Don nodded. He walked back into the room as the coroners started to pack up people into body bags. He turned to the pale man beside him. "Hey…stay with me Jordan." He said. "What were their names?" He asked.

"Dr. Esperanza Urriolabetia and Elizabeth Sturm." The man said.

"Where is that name from?" Don asked. "Urriola…bay…tia.."

"I am not sure…she looked kinda Mediterranean, but the name isn't Italian. Greek? Dark eyes and hair. Pretty."

Don shook his head unsure.

He looked at Don. "Did you find the box?"

"The box?"

"Yes…there was a lock box on the bookcase there…" He pointed.

"No."

"Then the shooters have it."

"Could the missing women have it?" Don asked.

"Maybe…but I am not sure how with all the gunfire." Jordan said looking about at the bullets littering the room.

"What was in it?"

"I don't know. You'll have to contact her supervisor and Assistant Director Hodges. Apparently it could change history. Hodges assigned us the detail."

"Why did the head of our Bureau office have protection on a bunch of people from Cal-Sci?"

"You'll have to ask him yourself." Jordan said. "He did not tell us. Only to guard them until there was to be some gala to give the thing over to the museum."

"Thanks. Go to the hospital okay. Get checked out. This would shake anyone up." He looked at his team as they looked about. He took a breath. Two missing, two injured, and nine dead. Not a good start to the day at all.

Don took a breath as he sat down at his desk with his coffee in hand. "What do we have besides the brutal murder of nine people. The injury of two more and two missing women." He said looking up. "And seven of said people are our own."

"Agent Jordan gave the sketch artist what he remembered. Not much to go on though." Colby said putting them on the board next to the pictures of the murdered and the school ID pictures of the two women. "She is young to be a professor." He said nodding to Dr. Urriolabetia.

"Yeah." Don said. "So…Middle Eastern or Latino. They did not wear masks because it would seem they were not expecting anyone to live through this and be witness." Don sighed. "And they are in the wind with our missing. We need to find them to protect them."

"They all were from Cal-Sci." David said. "She was the head of the group that they were protecting. We should start there."

Don nodded. "Megan with me. We are going to Cal-Sci. Colby start rounding up the security footage. David start looking for our missing charges and to the morgue to see if they have anything we don't already know."

Don sat in the chair at the desk of Dr. Esperanza Urriolabetia in the history department of Cal-Sci. He was looking through files stacked about her desk.

Dr. Wittmore, the department chair came in with another box of things.

"Did she have any enemies?" Don asked.

"A few here. She promoted Middle East understanding. It can get you into some trouble in this country with the ignorant people." He sighed. "She consults with the FBI on Middle Eastern matters." He looked at her room. "She and Lizzy and the others came back with an artifact from the holy land. Islamists were not happy she found it nor were they happy she was bringing it back to the states to keep it safe from destruction."

"What if they have it?" Don asked.

"I pray not. It is a valuable piece of history. They would kill to keep it secret." Wittmore sighed. "Or sell it, which is worse…"

"They have killed. Why is it so secret?" Don asked. "No one can tell us what it is." Megan said finally looking up from Esperanza's date book and her class schedule.

"It is a missing piece of the Quran. More that that I can not say." Wittmore said holding up his hands. "She should have stayed in Europe…"

"Won't say." Don corrected watching him. "What do you mean?"

"She was educated there and she is a first generation Basque immigrant from Spain." Wittmore said.

"Which is why she looks Mediterranean." Don said nodding.

He nodded. "Please find Espa. Even if they have it they have sworn to see it burned and her with it." He said.

"We are doing all we can." Megan said.

"One last question…do you know why the FBI was put on the case?" Don asked. "I have five murdered agents to account for let alone your people."

"Assistant Director Hodges is a friend of her family. That is all I know."

"Does she have family?" Don asked.

"Not here. Her father lives in Idaho. If there is nothing else I have a memorial with the school board to plan and prepare." Wittmore said with a deep sigh.

Don nodded. Wittmore walked out. Don looked to Megan. "What do you make of Dr. Urriolabetia?"

"She is very tidy and clean, but she does seem to have an active life. I will go check out her apartment when we are done here." Megan said. She looked up at him. "A piece of the Quran. If it is something that could change history…"

"It is a motive for all that murder." Don nodded.

Don was eating dinner with his father and brother two days later. They were no closer to finding the killers or the missing women. Don had asked the director of the LA office about Esperanza and was told she was a bright girl and Hodges cared for her. When she had terrorists on her trail he set up a safe house for her to stay in until after the artifact was out of her hands. Hodges was not happy that she had not been found or men found for his murdered agents. He finally had let Don go after impressing he needed to find her and then killers several times. That was why Don had come home to have a beer and deflate from the interview with the high up boss.

His cell phone rang and he cleaned up his dishes and went to a crime scene in a park. It was raining. He had grabbed an umbrella and his rain jacket from the car as he walked out onto the sodden earth to look at the body.

David and Colby were already there. "Hey Don." Colby nodded to the stripped body on the ground beneath a tree. "Don it is Elizabeth Sturm."

Don nodded as he walked in the grass and knelt down as he took a breath. He squatted down and touched the face of the small young woman that had been beaten terribly. She was naked and cuts covered her along with many bruises the size of fists.

The coroners looked at him. "There is evidence she was attacked sexual as well sir."

"TOD?" Don asked as he noticed the linear scar around her neck that had been dug into the flesh. He turned her head a little noting that she was not fully riggered. She had been garroted. Don's blood went cold.

"Liver temp puts her time of death at about 5 or 6, but is difficult to saw with this cold rain." The coroner said. "Rigger has not fully set in…so can't be more than a couple hours. I think she was dumped here…there is no blood on the ground from when they ripped into her neck with the cord or wire…"

"Wire or cord?" Don asked.

"No fibers so I am guessing wire…narrow gauge. You'll have to wait for the ME for more Agent Eppes."

"Thanks." Don said standing up.

There was only one more before they reached their goal of the remaining threat. Only one more to kill to take back history…

The fingerprints of the men at the first crime came back from Interpol and immigration. Colby brought the files into the office. "The two men were Mohammed bin Kareem and Bilal bin Tarik."

"Blood came back too." David said. "The blood is Dr. Urriolabetia. They think she cut herself pretty good."

"So check hospitals see if she checked in to get it treated." Don said.

David nodded as he and Colby left.

Don now had names and faces of the killers, but no leads to their whereabouts. Nor did he have any for the whereabouts of Esperanza. He looked at her picture from her DMV photo. She was pretty. Really pretty factoring no one looked their best for the DMV. "How did you get mixed up in this?" He said softly.

He paced looking at the pictures. He had just put up Lizzy Strum's ME photo to add to the others. These killers had tortured her for information no doubt. She had died nastily, the wire had cut back nearly to the spine. There had been a bruise in her back where the killer had levered against her to kill her.

She looked so young and innocent in her DMV picture beside her death photo. He sighed. Too young to die that way anyway…

So many dead and no way to really bring them justice until more evidence came up or they found Esperanza alive…

The next morning when all were drinking their morning coffee in the break room a young woman was shown in. Her face was thin and drawn. She had a guest pass on her torn business suit. Her hair was in a haphazard bun. There were deep circles under her eyes. The agent at the door watched her.

"I need to speak with the lead agent for the case about the lost artifact."

"You have what kind of information?" The lady asked her gently.

"I know where Dr. Urriolabetia is. I am sure they have been looking for her."

"Indeed. Come with me…" She looked down. "Marie…"

She nodded and limped behind the agent as she brought her to desk of the agent in charge. "He will be here in a moment. His name is Agent Eppes."

"Thank you." The weary woman said softly. She sounded exhausted to even herself.

When left alone, she limped to board in the war room where she saw the pictures of Mindy and Lizzy dead on the ME table. Her breath caught as she reached to touch Lizzy's face. Tears came to her eyes as she saw them all there. They had all died for her and the artifact secret she carried. She stood on one foot and shook her head. "What have I done?" She gasped.

"Can I help you?" A soft male voice said from the doorway. She half turned to see a tall, sharp featured man with dark hair and eyes standing there with his arms folded holding a cup of coffee in one hand. He was handsome even in his suit and tie and he had the air of authority about him. She also could see his badge and his gun. Agent Don Eppes, she had no doubt. She looked back at the pictures as another tear was blinked from her eye.

"Can I help you?" He repeated as he took a step forward ready to pull her away from the gruesome pictures of his investigation as he unfolded arms.

Don was curious about this woman. She was dressed in a designer suit, but it was torn and she was standing like a flamingo. She also looked very tired. He wondered what this woman could tell him about his missing woman. Agent Phipps had told him there was a woman who looked homeless that had information for him. She looked dirty, but with her clothes she was not homeless…unless she had stolen the clothing. He doubted it. She had the feel of someone who was not from the streets of LA. Despite her haggard appearance she was still pretty under the mud and runny makeup.

"Do you know Agent Eppes what it is like to have someone die for you?" She touched the picture of one of the murdered agents who had been shot three times in the chest. "Do you know what ten feels like?"

"Dr. Urriolabetia." He said softly as he came into the room his voice full of surprise. He set down his coffee and looked at her as she turned to him and dipped her head in an old formal greeting. She straitened her short stature body to look at his eyes. She looked like hell and most definitely like a woman who had been on the run for three days.

She had clearly worn the same clothing for four days. He had no doubt that the cut sleeve would match the cloth he had in evidence. Her eyes were puffy from weeping. He hardly blamed her. She had witness something horrific and had been on the run from some brutal people.

"Yes." She said softly and offered a soft humorless smile. She pulled the jacket off and winced as she moved her right arm. As she set it on the chair she revealed her arm was bound just below her elbow. Dried blood stained her light blue blouse.

"You look like hell. Can I get you something?" He asked.

"You would too if you had the men I have chasing me." She sighed.

He turned seeing David and Megan coming into the room. "David can you get some coffee and something for her to eat."

David nodded and went to fetch the things. Colby came in and nodded to them.

"Thanks." Esperanza said and went to go to a chair. As she took a step forward the adrenaline left her body now that she was safe and had been so high for three days. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she sank earthwards.

Don gasped and moved quickly. He pushed the chair out of the way as he caught her to him and lowered them both to the floor as he pillowed her head against his chest.

"Dr…Dr. Urriolabetia? Esperanza?" He called tapping her cheek gently to try to wake her.

Nothing.

"She finally let herself relax Don." Megan said kneeling by them. "She was exhausted."

Don cradled her gently as Colby got off the phone with the paramedics. "The medics are on their way."

"She needs medical attention." Don said nodding. "I'm going with her. She needs to know that she won't be killed on our watch again. She trusts me enough to let herself pass out here. She needs to have someone she knows there when she wakes up…even if she doesn't know them well."

Colby knelt down. "Her arm and her ankle will need to be looked at. She's a fighter Don."

"Yeah." Don said looking down at her face.

She woke some eight hours later. She looked about the clean room, what little she could see of it. She saw equipment and two men at the door.

She needed to go before they found her here. She sat bolt upright with a yelp.

"Dr. Urriolabetia…" Don Eppes' voice registered in her brain as she felt his strong large hands on her thin shoulders. His hands were warm. She could feel them through the thin medical robe she wore. He was rubbing her shoulders trying to get her to calm down.

"Esperanza. My friends call me Espa." She managed as she took a deep breath.

"I'm Don." Don said letting his hands drop and he rested them on the rail as he watched her. "You need to relax. You are safe here. I'm here with you."

She shivered and looked about like she did not believe that. The two men she could clearly see were officers now that her eyes had cleared the sleep from them. He reached over with a smile and cupped her chin to make her look at him. She noticed that he wore neither tie nor jacket now.

"Espa look at me." He voice was gentle, but firm.

Her dark eyes locked with his own brown eyes.

"Nothing will happen to you now."

"Promise?"

"Yeah I promise…" He said letting her go to go back to his chair post. As he turned she caught his hand as she looked up at the TV. It was a hockey game. He had been watching apparently.

"You like hockey." She said. It was not a question.

He looked at her then his hand caught in hers and back up at her. "Yes." He said surprised she could move as fast as she had to catch him. Not only that, but her grip was strong despite being weak. He had seen how much fluid the nurses had put in her to re-hydrate her through her IV. That was after they could get her veins that had collapsed.

"Stay with me Don." She begged softly then.

"I need to go back to work now that you are awake and stable. Don't worry there are two officers outside your door and three agents around. You'll be fine."

"Please…" She begged her eyes full of hope and fear as she looked at him.

He looked at her and saw how fragile she was and how scared. He took a breath and nodded. "Okay…I'll stay." He said exhaling a breath.

She let his hand go and looked back at the game. "Who's winning?"

"Houston." He said sitting back in the chair. "You into hockey Espa?" He stretched his long legs and looked up at her.

"A little." She said shifting and she felt something on her sore foot. She looked down.

"Your foot was broken in two places. How you walked I will never know." He said noticing her eyes shifting down. He looked over her as a woman came to the door. She was a nurse. The officers were checking her ID to the lists. When she checked out they let her pass.

"Hi there I am Abby." She said seeing her patient was awake.

"I'm Esperanza."

"I'm your nurse. Hello Agent Eppes."

Don nodded before looking back at the game.

"I brought you both some water. Would you like something else?" Abby asked.

"Do you have juice?" Espa asked.

"Sure…grape or cranberry or apple?" Abby said as she gave Don his water which he thanked her for.

"Cranberry." Espa said.

"Agent?" the nurse asked.

"Apple would be nice." He smiled at her.

"I'll be back in a moment." She said leaving after checking the monitors on Espa and her current bag of saline.

Don and Espa's minds went back to the hockey game as they sipped their water.

"You know they will release you in the morning if you thrive." Don said. "Your cut on your arm needed stitches and your leg is in a cast, but they will give you a walking boot and crutches."

"Then where?"

"A safe house until I find the men who did this."

"No." Espa said stiffening. "I will get Bob to have me go home with him or stay at the building. I am not having more agents murdered for me."

"Espa…I…"

"Do you not understand me?" She asked. "Ten people have died for me. I watched agents and my friends slaughtered like animals. I'm not going to let that happen again." Her eyes locked with his defiantly.

"Alright." He said after a moment of testing her resolve and finding it like a brick wall. "I will think of something. You are in my care now. I do not loose people. Don't run off alright? I need to know where you are." He said his dark eyes searching hers.

"Very well."

"Good." He smiled at her. "Our juice is here."

Don woke the next morning. He had been given a cot to sleep on. It was more comfortable than he would have expected. He heard noises in the shower and knew from the pile of the medical robe that Espa had been disconnected from the machines and was going to come out dressed in the clothes he had brought for her.

When the water finally turned off he heard her moving about as she dried and dressed. He got up and knocked on the door. "Espa are you alright in there?"

"Yeah thanks Don." Came her meek voice back through the door, but he could tell from it that she had been crying. Again he hardly blamed her.

She came out a moment later drying her long hair and in the camisole shirt with the shorts that Megan had found and he had brought for her. He could see Megan's taste in the clothing, but they looked good on the petite woman. She did clean up nice enough.

Her hands and arms were red from her trying to clean so rough that she had cleaned with nothing left to be cleaned. He had seen the reaction in rape victims before as well as trauma. It was feeling of being dirty and inability to get clean because the dirt was inside their minds not on their bodies. Also normally both sets of victims were deadly silent after and could not stand be touched. She had allowed him to touch her. She also was talking which was a good sign.

A doctor came in. He smiled. "Agent Eppes. I can release her now to you."

"Good." Don said as he signed the paperwork watching Espa put her hair in a thick braid.

"She can go anytime now." The doctor said.

"Thanks doctor." Don said. He started to gather her things and his own. When he was done she was balanced on arm crutches that they had brought to her at her request since she hated the other ones.

"Ready?" he asked gently

"Yeah." She answered.

"Come with me then." He laid a hand on the small of her back to direct her as they walked together out into the parking lot. His suburban was not far.

He helped her in and put the gear he carried as well as her crutches in the back. She looked down at the boot. It was heavy, but she could walk with it, though she needed to take it slow. The crutches were to help with balance for the first couple of days.

He got into his suburban and smiled seeing her belt was on already. He belted himself in and started his car. He backed up and started through the parking lot and out onto the street. He got onto the Interstate and drove along quickly weaving easily through traffic like a born Californian. He turned off on an exit and made some turns in what was starting to look residential. He saw her winding her hair into a tight bun and using a pen she had found on the dashboard to hold it still.

"Where are we going?" she asked when she saw him as he turned into a beautiful neighborhood with large trees and beautiful yards.

"You'll see." He smiled at her over his sunglasses. "It's a surprise."

"I see." She said looking a little suspiciously at him, but then an old oak caught her attention. "I wonder how much you have seen in your days?" She commented looking up at the giant.

"Where is the artifact?" Don asked as he made a turn at a stop sign. The question was burning in his mind. "They do not have it do they?" He looked at her steadily a moment before looking back at the road. "Otherwise you would be wanting us to find it."

Espa smiled slightly before looking at him. "You are very intuitive Agent Eppes." She said and then sighed. This was a man she could trust and she knew it. She reached up to the bun in her hair and let it down. She then used her fingers to loosen her braid. She then reached up under it and pulled a small tube that had been bound there. She held it up.

His eyes widened slightly. "Ten people have died for that?" He asked a bit surprised.

"No Don." She shook her head. "Thousands." She said and then swallowed as he pulled into the driveway of a beautiful craftsman home. The yard was perfect and she looked at the nearly perfect neighborhood. "Where are we?"

He got out and walked about to open the door for her. She got out a little awkwardly, but she used his shoulders to help her down. His hands held her hips a little longer than necessary to hold her steady. He turned to shut the door as she balanced awkwardly on her good leg and put a little pressure on her sore one finding it did not hurt nearly as bad anymore.

He saw the sprinklers were going and knew she would never make it to the door before she would get wet. He bent and picked her up petite form up in his arms with ease and nodded to the house. "This is my brother and father's home."

She protested a moment before wrapping her arms about his neck as he shifted her a little. One arm was under her knees and the other was around her back. She saw his aim and was thankful, but she was a little disconcerted this man could just pick her up. More that she actually let him.

He balanced her on his knee as he drew out his keys and opened the door. He walked in and set her down on the floor again with ease. He smiled a little at her before going back out to fetch the other things from the backseat.

She limped to a chair and sat down with a little less grace than normal. She looked at the pictures on the lamp table. There were pictures of Don as a small kid with a smaller kid, no doubt his brother. Don's face looked very much the same, just now it had more lines and had become more thoughtful. She sighed. She had a couple like those with her little sister before she had died from alcohol poisoning at a party. The boy had gotten her drunk and she had passed out and he had raped her. He freaked out and went on the run when she did not wake up. It was a shame her sister had not thrown up…it would have helped, but her family did not easily. The boy was in jail for felony rape and manslaughter and her sister was dead.

Worse the grief had taken her mother into a deep depression. Her lack of will to do anything had killed her finally in the end. Died crying in a car that caused a car accident when Espa was in late her teens and she left a family with new baby at home who Espa's father was raising now on his own. Lupe was almost eleven now…

"Donnie is that you?" A voice interrupted her reverie. She looked up as she jumped and turned to see a man in his mid-sixties watching her from a few feet away. "Oh…Can I help you miss?" He had the same strong features and eyes that Don had. There was no doubt that he was Don's father and that he was no threat. In fact his face was sweet and gentle.

"I am Esperanza. Your son brought me here. I am sorry. We can leave if you…"

He smiled and held up his hand. "You know it has been years since Donnie brought a girl home. Welcome. I'm Alan Eppes. A pleasure to meet you." He stepped forward and took her hand.

She took it and gave him her first real smile she had in days.

The door opened and revealed Don carrying in a suitcase, a laundry bag, and her crutches. She noticed it was her suitcase as well. He had has a bag packed for her. That was kind.

Alan helped him set the stuff down and nodded to his son. "Who is the girl?" He asked in a low voice. "She is cute." It was a little too hopeful and Don heard it.

Don looked at her and back. "Work. A little professionalism dad. She is not a girlfriend, but I need her safe and she doesn't want to go back to a safe house. I hardly blame her."

"She's the girl you have been looking for?" Alan asked. When Don nodded he sighed. "Ahhh…"

Espa got up and was hopping to look at some pictures on the wall and mantle. Don moved and had a hand on her elbow before she fell or tripped. She smiled a soft thank you at him. She looked at Don's childhood in pictures with him standing nearby allowing her space.

To him it was funny that she was actually interested in his pictures. He had not looked at some of them in years. She seemed fascinated which made him smile. He wondered how many pictures she had like that.

"You know sometime we will have to talk about what you saw…" He said as gently as he could.

"I…" she started, but Alan interrupted.

"Donnie. Let her settle in first for goodness sake. Also why do you need to interrogate a witness?" Alan asked.

"Dad…I am lead agent on this investigation. I am not going to interrogate her. I am going to ask her about what she saw. She is rather crucial here." Don said his hands on his hips next to his phone and his gun strapped to his side. "I just thought to warn her is all. It is my duty to her and to the fallen. One of them anyway."

"Yes and you have to clear me as a suspect…" She said without looking at him.

"What?" He asked.

She touched the picture of Don's mother on her wedding day. "She is beautiful. The black and white…very nice." She said. She looked at him. "You need to clear me of having some inside job."

"Well yes and no…Espa…You are not a suspect. I…" Don lifted his hands.

She lifted her own to hush him. "I understand Don."

"Okay. Well we will have agents outside as soon as they come down from control. I called it in last night. I will be here most of the time, but I have a team as well. They are trying to find the people responsible for all this."

She nodded.

"Stay away from windows. Don't go into the yard without an escort. Don't lock any doors unless I ask you to. You know standard common sense things."

She nodded again. "So I am a prisoner. At least the prison is nice." She said as she limped to another set of pictures.

"Espa…I don't want you to get hurt. Are we clear?" Don asked coming next to her. At his full height Don was an imposing man of 5'11 and she came only to his shoulder. He looked even more imposing with his suit jacket on, even if it was missing the tie and the neck was open a little. He still was packing a gun. His confidence gave her comfort and she needed that.

She whipped about to face him. Again he was impressed with her reflexes. "Will you have to watch me in the bathroom too?" She asked her arms folding across her chest.

Alan smirked as his son was at a loss for words for a moment. "No…well…I meant most of the time. I'm not a pervert Espa. You can have some privacy. You are not a prisoner. You are just my charge and I am not going to let anything happen."

"Yes because Hodges will have your head and your career." She said toying with him now.

It was clear he was not used to being the mouse in such word battles. "Well that is one reason yes. The other is I really do care."

She took a breath and her shoulders slumped. She seemed to become even smaller than she was. "I don't want to be alone right now." She said as she saw Alan leave the room.

Don's large hand moved to rest on her thin shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm here. My dad is here. My brother will be home soon. The family Eppes will keep you company." He smiled. "I promised remember."

A man came in the door. Don nodded to him. "Espa can I have the artifact. We are going to keep it in our vaults. That will hopefully make it safer for you, but I still am not going to take any chances."

She nodded giving it up without a fight knowing it was pointless. Don could use his other agent and himself to pin her down and take it by force if he had to. She was not about to let that happen. The man spoke to Don and then left. Don turned back to her as he removed his jacket and threw it on the chair that she had been sitting on. He unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves. It was warm in the home, but tolerable to her. Apparently not him.

She moved and stumbled a little as her legs got crossed. She had forgotten she wore a large boot now. Don moved sideways and caught her. He smiled at her. "We need to stop meeting like this."

She laughed at that and grinned. Her laugh was beautiful like the rest of her. It was good to have her have enough self still to laugh.

He righted her. "Do you want to relax a while? The couch is comfortable." He knew she must be tired since she was still recovering from her four days of hell.

She nodded and he helped her there. "Is there any chance I could get a sandwich or something?" She asked. She looked at Don as he stepped back from her. He smiled and was about to answer when…

"One better Esperanza." Alan said. He brought out a tray with soup in bowls, spoons, bread, butter, and some cheese on a plate. The soup was a tomato with tomato pieces inside it. IT was Tomato Bisque. The bread was warm and smelled very yeasty. "Go on then…"

"Dad…that is kind. Thanks." Don said.

She gasped. "Wow…thank you Mr. Eppes." She said sitting forward.

"Alan please my dear." Alan said as he set the tray down on the table.

"Thanks Alan." She said grabbing a piece of cheese and started to eat it.

Don dropped into the chair beside her. "Hum…this looks good." He took a bowl and started to eat it. He put up a couple of pieces of cheese as he sat back.

"What can I get you kids to drink?" Alan asked. "I have water, tea, beer, and coke."

Espa had smirked when he said kids as she watched Don wince. She started into the soup with another piece of cheddar in her other hand. "Coke please." She said looking up."

"Coke coming up. Donnie?"

"Water for now. It is early for beer. Besides I am technically on duty still." Don smiled. "Thanks dad."

Alan disappeared and reappeared with the drinks.

"This is good." Espa said as she opened her coke the bowl balanced on her knee.

"Yeah dad can cook." Don said grinning at his dad before he left again, a little too confidently for Don's liking. He knew he was hoping for something to come of this. He had been after Don for years about marriage and grandchildren. Don had to admit at thirty-five time was ticking, but his job had always come first.

Espa, though fragile, was very pretty, smart, and likeable woman. His dad liked her, but then his dad would like any woman he brought home work related or no with a pulse.

She finished and lay back on the couch. In moments her breathing slowed and she was asleep her belly full of good food and her mind at ease because of safety. Her arm dropped off the couch as she shifted a little in sleep.

Don smiled a little. She was very beautiful with her features relaxed. He put her hand back on her chest and then pulled a blanket up. She hardly stirred, which surprised him a little, but then he knew she had to feel safe now sleeping so deeply.

He walked the few feet away to turn the TV on quietly. A baseball game was on and he settled in drinking his water with her in the corner of his vision.

Alan soon joined him and they talked quietly letting her sleep for it was very clear she needed it. She looked so peaceful on the couch. So peaceful and so young.

"How old is she?" Alan asked. He looked at her head framed by her wild hair.

"Late twenties…but she looks younger no?" Don said looking over at her a moment.

"Yeah…"

Charlie came home about two hours later. Alan and Don looked up as he spoke. "Hey dad…hey Don."

Don pressed a finger to his lips and pointed at the dreamy Espa to Charlie's left. Espa shifted a little.

Charlie was startled to see her there and walked over to Don and his father. "Who is that?" He asked softly.

"Dr. Esperanza Urriolabetia." Don said softly.

"_She's_ your missing woman?" Charlie asked

"Yep…" Don nodded.

"Poor thing is exhausted." Alan said softly

"I would be too if I was days on the run." Charlie said. He pulled up a chair and dropped onto it as he leaned his arms on the back.

Don got a call on his cell. It was Colby.

"How is your houseguest?" Colby asked.

"Well enough…" Don nodded.

"We got names. Immigration and customs knew one of them and found the other. They are Mohammed bin Kareem and Bilal Kano…"

"Great. Any luck finding these guys?" Don asked looking out the window at the front lawn. He looked over at Espa a moment. Well names were a start.

"No highest priority, but they are totally in the wind and have been for a while. IC lost Mohammed after a raid when they had him on surveillance."

"Good work. Keep at it." Don said and turned off his phone and put it back at his side. "Well we have names, but no one." He said looking over at Espa as he spoke to his family softly.

Dinner was a pleasant affair. Espa was quiet, but spoke when spoken to and she ate two servings to Alan's pleasure.

Don aand she went and started on doing dishes together. He had planned this out with his family while Espa had slept.

"Espa." He said starting to wash the plates. "What can you tell me about Mohammed bin Kareem and Bilal Kano."

"Are they who did this?" she asked looking at him as she held a dish.

"We think so…"

She bit her lip and then jumped up on the cabinet and sat there as he gave her dishes to dry.

"You know them don't you." It was not a question.

She nodded. "They are former Bath party guards from Iraq. They went underground and are reported contract killers for Islamic nations." She said softly.

"I see." He said. "What else can you tell me about what happened?" He handed her the last plate. "Or what can you can tell me to help me find these men who killed your friends and my fellow agents."

She took a breath. "Blood. Lots of blood." Her eyes closed as she held the plate. "The agents cried out. There was gunfire. I came from the back bedroom and saw one of the agents get his throat slit. I grabbed Lizzy. One of them looked at me. His eyes...they were so…cold."

Her hand went to her mouth and she dropped the plate causing it shatter on the floor. "Oh my God. I am so sorry…Here let me clean it up…" She jumped down and started to pick up the sharp pieces. She cut herself, but took no notice as she told herself she was a klutz.

Don dropped and pulled her away and took the pieces as he pressed his hand to the cut to stop the blood. "Its just a plate Espa. I am sorry I upset you, but I had to…"

"I know." She whispered and shivered. "I had not known fear until that point." She said sitting back against the cupboards.

He knelt before her and lifted her chin his eyes searching hers. "Help me find these guys Espa."

She looked at him. "I have told you all I know. Don't you think if I knew more I would tell you?"

"Yeah I do…" He sighed. "Come one lets get a band-aide on that cut and then I will clean this up."

He had her go with him to the downstairs bathroom. He opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out a box. He put a band-aide on her cut hand and smiled. "There you are." He said. He walked past her to clean up the mess in the kitchen.

Meanwhile Espa used her crutches and went into the average where Charlie was working on chalkboards in the garage. She looked about at the complex equations.

He noticed her and smiled. "Hello Esperanza. Don's not out here." He said softly.

"I know…He is…cleaning up my mess…" She said softly.

"What?"

"I got a little emotional and broke a plate by accident when I was drying the dishes." She said with a sigh.

"Oh. Well no worries. I broke a bunch more growing up. Don even more than me."

She giggled a little and then took a breath. "So this is your house?" She asked looking up at the rafters before dropping onto the couch and leaning her crutches on it. She tucked her legs up against her body.

"Yes. I bought it from my dad." Charlie said. "Don and I grew up here."

"Really…" It is a neat home. I love craftsman homes. I think they are lovely…" Epsa looked at all the boards and then sneezed.

"Bless you." Charlie said.

She smiled a little embarrassed. "You really are as much of a genius as your father and brother say." She said. "I have no idea what all this is…"

"You are a doctor as well are you not." Charlie asked.

"Of history. Middle East history actually. This would cause my brain to explode." She said looking at one problem and sighed. She rubbed her face softly. "Math and me are not good friends. I got like a C in math in high school and college. I am sure that makes me an idiot next to you."

"Hardly…" He said. "I do not understand history well…"

He smiled. "I am trying to work out predatory/prey dynamic to find the men well…hunting you."

She nodded. "I think that is truly amazing." She said sitting forward.

Suddenly Don ran in a beer in hand. "Charlie. Have you seen…" There was true worry in his voice. Then he saw Espa sitting there looking up at him. "There you are…" He said with a cheerful smile. The relief was clear on his face as well as his voice as he dropped onto a desk and sipped his beer. "What have you got?" he asked his brother.

"A couple of similarities. I am still working. It will take me a bit to work us out."

Don nodded. "Espa. Wanna watch something with me instead of being bored out here." He grinned as his brother turned with a shock look on his face.

Espa smiled. "Well this is over my head. She got up. "More hockey?"

He shook his head as he got up. "Baseball."

She smiled. "I am partial to soccer, but that will due. My dad played semi-pro. Chicago Japanese league too. We used to play catch when I was little."

"Really?" Don asked. "I played for the Stockton Rangers a single – A team. But this was a long time ago…" He said.

"Nice."

He chuckled as she limped back into the house as she walked with her crutches. He looked at his brother and grinned at him with his self-satisfied grin before following her.

They watched baseball and drank beer into the night. Don was enjoying having a girl who was at least somewhat knowledgeable of the sport. She truly was a gem and he liked her.

It was the bottom of the eighth when Don looked over at the now quiet Espa who had been cheering moments earlier.

He smiled gently at her. It had been a rough couple of days for her. She had finished her second beer her noticed. Well that would help her relax regardless. He watched the rest of the game and finished his beer. He had only had one so he could be still sober and take care of her.

When it was over he got up and gently touched her arm. She woke, but not with as much as a start as was expecting. He had his hands wide to show there was no danger.

"What was the score?" she yawned a little and stifled it a little and smiled at him.

"Two to seven Yankees."

"No big surprise." She said rubbing her eyes.

He watched her. She was pretty tussled from sleep. "No I supposed not." He smiled. "Come on. I will take you up to my room."

Her look turned suspicious and he coughed a little. "Well it is my old room dad made a guest room when I moved out."

"You don't live here?" He could tell by her smile that she was teasing him.

"No. I have an apartment downtown, but I am here a lot." He smiled. "I will be on the floor or in chair since you do not seem to want to be alone."

"No…I don't. Thank you Don."

"My pleasure." He said. He took a hold of her crutches. "Come on…I will help you."

She leaned on him as they walked to and then up the stairs. It hurt to put weight on her foot even with the boot on to protect it. They went to his bedroom where he had already brought up her suitcase.

"Okay bathroom is across the hall. I will be here, but will leave if you…you know…wanna…"

"Get dressed for bed?" She asked looking at him.

"Yeah." He said giving her an awkward smile.

She nodded and went to her suitcase. It had been hastily packed and clearly by a man. Most likely by one of Don's fellow male agents. She turned holding her nightgown. "Thank you Don…for everything." She said looking up at him.

"Don't thank me yet. We need to catch the bad guys." He said looking out the window. He nodded to his agent below and then drew out his gun and looked at it before returning it to his side. He turned back and saw her going into the bathroom.

He sat down in the chair and started to read a book he had found on the bookshelf. The water was running in the bathroom. He shifted the book getting into it for now. It was Tolkien's _The Two Towers_.

The water stopped and he waited looking up from the company being in Rohan. After several moments without movement he got up and knocked lightly and tried the door. It was unlocked. "Espa?"

"Yes?" she answered as he partly opened the door bringing with it a steam cloud.

"Just checking on you." He said making sure he did not peek as much as he wanted to.

"I'm fine. Can I go back to being the only me enjoying my bath?" She asked.

He chuckled. "Sure. Sorry." He shut the door an took a breath. A very attractive woman was bathing in his family home, but it was work. He had to keep telling himself that. This was work. He could not be attracted. But he was…

A little while later Espa came out limping to the bedroom. She was in her night clothes and drying her hair with a towel. The tee came to her mid-drift showing it a little to Don as well as showing her nipples and full breast, which he itched to touch in spite of himself. Her pants hugged her thin hips and were tied there. She was lithe and short, but very pretty.

"How did you manage to keep your leg dry?" he asked as she came in.

"It was out. Didn't you see?"

"No…I didn't peek at you." He sighed rubbing his face. "Espa you deserve privacy even under my protection." He said looking up at her.

"Thanks." She sat on the bed as he looked at her from the chair near the bed. On the floor was an air-bed with covers and pillows made up for him.

She did feel safer with Don Eppes. He was gentile and sweet, but also the boss of the situation.

He picked up his radio as she climbed on to the bed with sleep pants and a sleep tee offering him a nice view of her clothed rump. "All units report in."

"One go."

"Two go."

"Three go."

"Four go."

"I have her upstairs in the northeast bedroom. It has the least amount of windows." Don said looking about his room. "Leader out." He turned back to Espa who was snuggled into the covers. He offered a slight smile at her.

"Copy that." A voice said.

He turned the radio down and then put in an ear clip and had a microphone on his collar.

She snuggled down into the bed and watched him move about turning off the lights.

He dropped down into the chair again and leaned back rubbing the back of his neck as he moved it a little from side to side. He rolled his head forward and saw her looking at him. "Hey it's okay. You can sleep. I am not going anywhere and I am your last line of defense. There are four agents outside on four hour shifts to keep them sharp."

She nodded and shut her eyes. After a few moments she was asleep.

Don watched her in the moonlight room that cast interesting patterns around the room. He sighed. Many years he had dreamed about having a girl in his bed here. She rolled over and snuggled down onto her stomach. Don checked his gun again and relaxed back to half sleep/half guard his charge.

Morning came. Don woke feeling the sun coming in the window. He opened his eyes. He had spent the night in the chair. He looked over. Espa was not in his bed. He took a breath. "Espa…" He said softly shaking his head.

"Where is our target?" he barked into his radio as he got up and headed for the stairs.

"Downstairs." A voice said on the radio.

Don smelled food cooking. He looked about. No one was there. He opened the door to the kitchen and saw her with Alan together talking softly as they cooked.

She looked up and saw his un-amused face of Don as he looked at her from the door. She looked down. "Sorry…I wanted to make you breakfast. I didn't leave the house promised." She smiled at him trying to get him to lighten up. "I got up early and Alan was up already making coffee when I came down. So we talked and I made tea. I decided to cook. I hope you are hungry."

He nodded a little looking at his dad a moment.

"Yeah Donnie. She has been down here since six-thirty. She has not left my sight."

Don took a breath and seemed to be pacified a little. "You can cook?" He asked folding his arms and leaning against the door.

"I'm Basque." She said matter-a-fact-ly in answer smiling at Alan as she limped back to the stove using her boot to walk on a little more normally. Apparently her vicodin meds had taken effect. He moved from the door and poured himself a cup of coffee and stirred in milk and a bit of Splenda.

Charlie came down in casual clothes, his hair tussled from sleep. He was still blurry eyed.

Espa looked up. "There is coffee in the pot. The agents have already had a crack a at it so I will make more in a moment." She said lifting her mug that had a small string hanging from it. Tea.

Charlie poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot finishing it. Espa came over and started a new pot with the ease of a daily coffee drinker. She smiled at the three Eppes men standing there watching her.

Don took a sip after declaring it. This coffee was richer and more full bodied than he was used to. It was some of the best he had ever had. "This is good." He said looking at Espa as he leaned against a counter.

Charlie had added sugar and gone to the living room.

Espa smiled and shifted something in a skillet. She had a box of eggs, cheese, turkey, and tomatoes. "It is from Germany. It is stronger than American coffee."

"Yes." He said. He moved and saw his dad cutting up hash browns and cooking them on his travel griddle on the counter. "Are you making omelets?" he asked peeking over her shoulder.

"Yes country chef with hollandaise sauce." She answered as she turned it onto a plate.

"Which she home-made." Alan said grinning at her. "I have never been able to do that."

Don knew this was a joy for his father to have a cooking partner who was as good if not better than he was.

Espa ladled the sauce on and put a tomato on the top and then gave it to Alan to put hash browns on. She passed him the other plates to have more hash browns put on. She picked up two plates and Don took up the other two and followed her out as Alan turned off his grill and grabbed the rest of the hollandaise.

Charlie looked up as Don plopped a plate of food before him. Someone had set the table and there was orange juice. Charlie had already gotten into it and smiled as he looked at the plate of food.

Don watched her put a plate down for herself across from Don and one at the head of the table for the father Eppes. Alan sat down and they all ate the most delicious breakfast that and of them had had since Margaret Eppes had passed on of her cancer.

Espa looked at the pictures as she ate.

Don followed her gaze. "That's our mom." He said nodding to the family picture taken about three years before she had died.

"She was beautiful." She said looking at another when Margaret Eppes was younger.

"Yeah." Alan said

It was clear Alan had told her about his widowhood and how it had come to be while she was cooking with him.

"This is really good Esperanza." Alan said. "We will have to cook more."

"Indeed." She said smiling.

"What is a Basque?" Don asked suddenly looking at Espa thinking about what she had said before. "Obviously good cook. Thank you…but I have to plead ignorance as far as your people."

"They…we came from the Pyrenees some are French some are Spanish. My family comes from northern Spain near Bilbao." She smiled.

"They are the oldest people in Europe." Alan said nodding. "Evidence puts them there in their land for 100,000 years. Carthaginians and the Romans were feared them." He grinned at her.

"What is your necklace?" Don asked. He had seen it on her neck every time he had seen her. It was different and shiny. It flashed in the morning light. It looked like a rounded swastika, but he knew that it was not that once good now foul symbol of fascism.

"It's a Laubauru. A Basque Cross. A Basque symbol for ions before if became a Christian symbol of the people." She said touching it. "It was my mothers before she died and I have not taken it off since the day of her death."

"Your mother died too?" Charlie asked surprised.

"Car accident when I was young." She said. "It was my dad and I for years." She smiled at Alan.

After the meal Charlie went to work in the garage, Don and Alan went to clean dishes, and Espa sat in the dining room.

"She is a lot like you, you know." Alan told his elder son quietly. He smiled nudging him a little.

Don took a breath as he rolled his eyes. "Dad, I am her bodyguard not her date. She doesn't even see me like that." Don said shaking his head. "I mean she is pretty and devoted to her job, but we can't date." He looked at his father who always seemed to be in his love life affair.

Espa walked into the backyard onto the porch. She nodded to the agent to the agent sitting there. She looked at the trees. Charlie joined her. He smiled at her. She sipped her tea looking about the yard.

She saw something there. She blocked the morning sun and gasped as she dropped her tea mug and dove to the side as a gunshot hit where her head had been. Charlie gasped as he ducked as well.

The agent jumped up and drew his gun. "Gunshot! Back of the house!"

Don jumped at the voice in his earpiece. "Was she hit?" He barked moving toward the backdoor his gun drawn.

"No sir…She saw it…"

"All units to the back! Get her in the house!" Don said dashing along.

The agents ran out from the front. One backed toward the door pushing Espa through the door to Don with Charlie.

"We're on him Don." Came Colby's voice.

Don grabbed her and dropped her behind a wall as he ducked with her, his gun ready. "What did you see?" he asked looking at her as he held his gun down ready to shoot if needed to protect her.

Her eyes were wide with shock and her pulse was racing. She was shocked to the core. He had seen it before in victims. He put up his gun knowing that most likely was not helping her.

"They…found me…" she managed. The fear was clear in her eyes and her voice.

"They aren't going to get you. Espa look at me." He cupped her chin. "I promised you…" He looked at her eyes. "Remember."

"Yeah…" She shivered. "He missed my head…" Her wide eyes made her look like a doe caught in headlights. She was spooked and he hardly blamed her.

"He is good to get that close through my agents. What did you see?" He asked said searching her eyes.

"A long rifle barrel." She looked up. "The bullet made little noise. He had a silencer." She said wrapping her arms about herself protectively.

He nodded. "Colby…what have you got?"

"A truck Don. Did she see anything?"

"Not the shooter, just the weapon. Sounds like a silenced assault rifle." Don looked up his hand on Espa's shoulder. "Tyler? Stay with her. Have dad make her some more tea." He looked at Charlie near them. "You okay…"

Charlie nodded looking up at him.

"Tea…I broke another dish…I need to…" She started to move.

Don pressed her back. "Espa…stay put here okay." He looked at his brother then Espa again. He gathered her in his arms and held her as she started to sob. He took a breath feeling his compassionate side strike a chord with her fear and her pain. He walked with her and Tyler further into the home.

Don nodded to Tyler to look after her as he drew his gun to go out on the hunt. He went strait through to the wooded area behind the house. He saw a man packing up a sniper rifle.

"FBI! Don't move. Put your hands up!" he cried holding his gun training on the man.

The man looked up and then ran. He was in camouflage gear.

"Suspect running west. He is in camo! Colby where are you?" Don barked into his radio.

"Other side of the woods. We have him surrounded." "Colby said.

Don chased the man. "FBI! Stop or I will shoot!" The man continued. Don then fired at a tree at the man's shoulder level close enough to be a warning. The man jumped as Don continued after. Don fired again and the man looked back. As he turned back. Colby's fist hit his face dropping him.

Don came up. "Who do you work for?"

The man smiled as Don rolled him over so Colby could cuff him. "Hands on your back, thumbs up." Don ordered his gun still trained on him.

After seeing Espa to tell her she was safe again and that he had to leave to interrogate a suspect, he had at the FBI building.

Don walked into the interrogation room. "How are you finding out where a girl is in a safe house? Who do you work for?"

"I want a ticket out of here." The man said looking up. His accent was heavy Latino inner city accent. "Such profiling you have me here…"

"Hardly. We found you packing up the rifle you tried to shoot Dr. Urriolabetia with. Luckily she saw you or you would charged with murder in that as well as the ten others." He smiled. "That is a needle in your arm for one of the agents, but you killed ten people." He said lying out the pictures of the murdered.

"Ten? I only went after the girl. Strait up contract kill."

"From who?"

"They will kill me."

"Good…" Don said. "Tell me what you know and I will see about what I can do for you." He took a breath "Why did you shoot at my sister?"

"You said the doctor."

"My sister and her look a lot alike. And I know who you were aiming for."

"Well I was told to shoot at a short dark haired girl."

"See my hair? You are lucky you didn't get her. Who made the contract?"

"I did not have a name." The man said. "1,500 down and 5,000 after. An email told me where to go and what the target looked like."

Don got up and left the room. He nodded at David. "I think he is telling the truth. He was given a description and where to go. He was not given a picture."

"Yeah and her fingerprints don't match the crime scene." David said.

"I'm going home. I need to see how Espa is holding up." He took out his phone as he started for the door. "Hey dad…How is she?"

"Quivering in a corner with a cup of chamomile tea. I think this got to her." Alan said looking at her as she shivered under a light blanket. She sipped her tea her hand quivering uncontrollably.

"I think everything about this got to her." Don said with a sigh. "I'll be there in a bit. Try to get her to talk about it."

"Right…"

"Try dad." Don said with a sigh as he left the building heading to his car.

"Alright. See you when you get here."

Espa looked up at Alan. "I'm sorry. I've put you and Charlie in danger." She said wiping her eyes. Her voice was shaky.

"How about you go take a shower. It will help you relax. A nice hot one."

She looked up at him and then nodded. She walked up the stairs. First she went to Don's room and packed a small bag for herself. She took a deep breath. She then threw in Don's switch blade she found in the drawer of his desk in the room.

She took a breath and started to write a note. She then went into the shower and started the water. She looked out and saw Don pull into the driveway. He was driving his large suburban. He jumped out and looked about.

She climbed out the window with the ease of a cat. Perching she waited. As Don spoke to the agent at the door she crept down along the house. She was walking a gauntlet of agents. She knew if caught Don would likely yell and put her in jail at his office to keep her safe. She liked them all enough not to put them in danger anymore.

Don came in the house. Alan and Charlie were watching TV. "Where is Espa?"

"Upstairs in the shower." Alan said.

Don could hear the water running. He went up and saw her suitcase had been ransacked. He had remembered it on the floor closed by the chair. Espa was not the type to leave things that he had noticed. The girl was very neat and definitely cleaned up well from her days of hell. Blinking he went to the door of the bathroom.

He knocked. "Espa?" he said gently.

No answer.

He took a breath and knocked harder. Something wasn't right. He could feel it. "Espa?" He said louder through the door. He tried the lock. It was locked. He blinked. He had asked her not to lock doors unless he asked her to. He took a breath. He felt something in his gut. He pressed his foot against the door and broke the old lock. He stepped into the steamy room. "Espa?" He yanked the curtain back afraid she had suicide on pills and died on the shower…It could happen with to someone under so much stress.

Nothing…she was not there.

His breath caught as she turned. Leaning against the mirror was a note.

I'm so sorry Don –

He looked through the mirror at the open window behind him. He shook his head and turned off the water. "Ahh…hell!" he cried and dashed out holding the sodden note.

Espa jumped on a buss to head to LA downtown. She was unaware of the man who got on with her along with two other people.

Don ran downstairs. "All units! Target has run!"

Charlie and Alan looked up. "What?" Alan asked

"She ran off." Don said as he started to pace as he rubbed his face. "When did you see her last?"

"About five minutes before you got here." Alan said. "She thinks that she put us in danger. Donnie…what if…"

"I know. Thankfully, I don't think she will get far." Don said shaking his head. "Why…Why did she go? She should know better…"

Espa used her ATM in the Little Saigon district wearing normal street clothes. She knew the ATM camera would pick her up. She pocketed the money and left.

She then bought some clothing from the small Middle Eastern clothing shop paying with the cash she had just gotten.

She then dodged into a restroom and changed into her Middle Eastern clothing with a hijab and veil. She tucked the switchblade into the boot where she could get at it easily. She started to walk a little awkwardly with her leg, but…

"She was pretty shook up by the attack. Dad said she was blaming herself." Don said at the office. "Doesn't she know this is the wrong thing to do?"

"She's in shock. All rational thought is gone Don." Megan said with a sigh. "She thinks she is protecting other innocent lives." She looked at him. "She is a woman…she is trying to be protective."

"Oh and her life isn't important?" Don asked hands on hips shaking his head. "Women…"

"Ten people died for her and her cause Don. Witnessing that and then being shot. It is _a lot_ to process." Megan said softly looking at him. "And women can be rational, but not when in a hyperactive state Don."

"Yeah and clearly she hasn't processed it." Don said.

Colby and David walked up. "We lucked out. She used her ATM card in Little Saigon." Colby started.

"What? How did she get there so soon?" Don asked.

"Bus. She must have gotten out before we locked down." David said.

"well she can't have gone far. Go looking." Don said. "Wait I will come."

"She might be in the mall." David suggested.

David, Colby, and Don got out of Don's SUV by the mall in Little Saigon.

"She used the ATM there." Colby pointed across the street.

Don nodded. "Let's split up to look for her."

The other two nodded and walked the opposite way as they looked at some of the ground floor stores on the outside of the mall.

David and Colby went along and then heard noise in the ally. They looked.

A Middle Eastern woman was fighting with three men. She was quick and lithe as she dodged around and blocked their hits. Colby and David were impressed at her martial arts skill in her round kicks and blocks.

Not sure what it was about, but knowing the men out weighted her by more than one hundred pounds they drew their guns. She was already tiring. It was clear.

"FBI!" David and Colby barked guns out and ready.

One man turned toward them lifting a rifle he picked up from a ladder near the small group and fired the semi automatic. They dodged behind a trash dumpster.

"Don! We're under fire. We need back up! Ally way on 510! Assault in progress!"

The girl clocked one in the face with her palm. She kicked the other in his knee as the gunman kept the agents pinned. She turned and saw them over her veil. Her eyes widened.

Esperanza knew them. They were not in flack jackets. She swallowed knowing they were in danger as much as she was.

The momentary distraction cost her. As they watched as he took a pistol butt to the face. She blinked as blood came to her nose as her veil fell from face. She blinked in pain and took a step back then a stunning blow by the other man to her temple. She dropped to one knee and shook her head trying to clear it. She struggled trying to get back on her feet to fight.

One of the men brought out a cloth as he stepped behind her. He pressed it to her mouth and nose. She struggled trying to pull him off her.

"We have a hostage Don! She put up a fight, but they have something on a cloth." David said as he watched the girl's struggles were getting less and less forceful. He fired causing the men to duck. The girl fell limp in the man's arms that held her. They threw away the blood soaked cloth and picked her up with ease now that she was unconscious. She was thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She was completely limp.

The man who held her went into the building as sirens were heard. The two men set up to fire their AK rifles.

Don came down the ally in his SUV, but stopped at the gunfire. He jumped out from behind the door. He wore his SWAT gear that he had managed to put on. Colby took a shot as he did. They both took one down.

Don took a breath as Colby and David went to see if they were alive. Colby then dashed through the door. He looked about the hallway and saw it took him to a street as David looked at the dead men.

He looked at Don. "Why were they attacking the girl?"

"And where did they take her." Don said.

On the ground was a hijab and veil of blue they had seen the girl wearing.

"It is hers." David said.

Don called in Crime Scene to come with coroners. He pulled on a pair of gloves to start looking at the evidence. He knelt down and picked up the bloody cloth with his gloved hands.

He sniffed it and blinked feeling a touch woozy.

"What is it?" Colby asked coming back.

"Don't know. It's kinda old school…it seems like chloroform." Don said as David held open a bag to put it in. He sighed and got up to talk to the men coming on scene.

In the back of a van Espa lay on some dirty blankets bound hand and foot. She was also gagged and still out cold with blood drying on her nose and chin.

"So we know these men used chloroform to subdue her." Don sighed. "I wonder who she was. We are waiting on DNA from the cloth so we can know who was taken."

"She knew martial arts. She kept them at bay until they cold cocked her Don." David said. "Three men versus one girl…"

"She was injured too. We can tell from the blood when they knocked her face. She is a strong stubborn woman." Don said. "One girl kidnapped…Espa on the run…"

Colby's phone rang. "Granger…" He stepped out of the war room to talk. He walked back in after a moment. Don cocked his head at him. "What is it?"

"The DNA came back. Don…the blood is Esperanza's."

"What?" Don asked sitting forward. "That girl was Espa…they got her?!" He took a breath and shook his head. His phone rang. "Eppes."

"You have something of value we want. We have something of value to you…" An electronic voice said.

"Who are you?" Don asked nodding to David. He signaled to start a trace.

"That is not important. We will send a video with instructions."

"Let me hear her…" Don said. "I know you have Esperanza Urriolabetia."

"No…"

"I need to know she lives."

Espa felt tape ripped from her mouth. She yelped as a phone was pressed to the side of her face. "What…?"

"Espa?"

"Don?!"

"Are you hurt?" Don asked.

"Don't give it to them Don! My life is not worth it!"

Don gasped. "Espa no…we…" He heard a crack and Espa grunted and he knew they had punished her for her outburst by beating her somehow.

"Our demands will be met Agent Eppes or she dies horribly like her grad student." The electric voice purred. "Where she cry out again and again like a whore when we take her."

Don's blood burned as she gasped. "What do you…"

The phone was dead.

He looked at David. "They have her. You get a trace?"

"GPS is coming up in a moment." David said as they went on the move to Don's suburban.

David's phone rang. "872 Warm Springs."

Don nodded as they started putting on their SWAT tactical gear. He barked orders for other SWAT to meet them there, but wait for his command.

Espa struggled against her bonds as the man hung up the phone. He barked in Arabic. So they were moving. Smart man. Too smart.

When she saw no one was looking she reached up and yanked her necklace. She knew Don would find it and know it meant she was there.

She let it drop before her as the men moved stuff. After it dropped she was grabbed from behind and pulled along toward some stairs. She sighed as she was put against a wall for a moment.

She saw them setting up a small bomb under a table and a recording of the men talking in Arabic. She realized it would be enough to lure the men into the home.

A man saw her looking and slapped her before moving her into the van. They drove off with her sitting worried in the back on a bean bag praying the bomb not to hit Don.

Don's team was outside. David came up.

"We have the place surrounded. There are two doors here and here." David said pointing to a made up map on a napkin. "Windows here and here. We have them all covered."

"Microphone has two men speaking Arabic." Colby said. "They are talking about cheerleaders here and how slutty they are."

"Let's do this." Don said.

They knocked the door and looked about the place crying out they were FBI.

"Clear!"

"Clear!" came the team who had gone upstairs,

"Where are they?" Don asked,

"I'm starting to get a feeling I haven't had in a while." Colby said

Don looked about and then under the dining room table. He jumped back. Let's go! This thing is wired! Get back!" He barked

As the men dove for cover the explosive blew sending wood and porcelain in every direction.

They went out and Don called in the bomb squad to secure the house. When it was declared clear he went back in to look around.

A glint on the floor near his foot caught his eye. He knelt down. He lifted up a thin silver chain that was broken. He lifted the pendant to look more closely. He blinked lifting it up to the light. "Not so idly do the leaves of Lorien fall." Don said quoting Tolkien as he held the beautiful Laubauru in between his fingers as he stood up. "Espa…" He whispered.

"Broken off when someone struggled?" Colby asked not hearing him.

"Perhaps." Don looked at the chain. "Espa always wore this. It was her mothers she told me. I never saw her take it off." He looked at Colby. "She's leaving bread crumbs to tell us she was here and that she is alive…"

Charlie brought in some new information with his math to aide in the search. It gave them an area to search.

Don had another thought as he looked down at Espa's cell phone records. He blinked and then pulled out his phone as it rang again. "Eppes."

"The video is in your office Agent. Be warned. I am not a patient man." The electric voice said and then it clicked.

He looked at the number on his phone. He sat up and smiled. "They are using Espa's phone. We can GPS it as long as it is on. David get on that. Colby look for the…"

A knock came at the door. Don got up and opened the door for the agent at the door. "This package came in moments ago." The fellow agent said bringing in a video that had on it. 'For Agent Eppes'.

Don looked it and went to the war room to plug it in to the VCR.

A man with the same computer altered voice came on masked. "Good day Agent Eppes. We want the artifact that you have stashed away. We have a hostage." The video panned to Espa tied to a chair with duct tape. Her head was to the side. Blood dried and fresh covered her lips and chin as well as her shirt front where it had dripped down. She was unconscious.

Don took a breath.

"…As you can see she is no worse for wear now, but she could be if you do not make the drop."

Don looked up as David came in with Charlie. Charlie gasped when he saw the captured Espa. She started to come to in the background.

"Charlie has helped the techs alter the voice back to the man." David said. Charlie plugged in his computer as the voice continued to go on.

Megan was taking notes.

After a moment Charlie's math algorithm sifted the words and a clear voice came through.

"That isn't Middle Eastern sounding." Don said. "Sounds like a Caucasian."

"Yes…" Charlie agreed.

"A Caucasian I have heard before." He looked at Megan's whose eyes suddenly filled with recognition.

"Dr. Wittmore…" she gasped.

Espa came to. Her eyes were wild as she focused. She shook her head and struggled. The masked man turned. "…or I will deal with this problem." He back handed her hard enough she fell backwards and the video ended.

Hodges came and looked. "I need her found Eppes."

"We are doing all we can." Don said. He sighed and watched the director leave again. The man truly cared for the girl. He could see it.

Don looked at David. "GPS?"

"A satellite is down. They are waiting for another."

"How long?" Don asked as he started to pace.

"Fifteen minutes tops." David said.

Megan held up her paper. "They want the drop to take place at Cal-Sci on the quad where there will be hundreds of kids standing around."

"Yeah." Don sighed as he stopped his pacing. "How much time?"

"Four hours…" Megan said looking down.

"So…at noon." Don said rubbing his hand over his jaw.

"Yep."

"Great." He sighed.

Charlie looked at Espa since Colby had rewound the tape. "She knows who is holding her and why…Look at how she is looking at the man."

"The man who betrayed her." Don said. "That is a look a hatred in her eyes."

"What would he use the thing for?" Charlie asked

"Black market I am sure." Don answered.

"Don…You can't let her die. She has fought too hard." Charlie said.

"I know…" Don said looking at him.

A tech came in. "Your IDs for the men are back. They are Russian mob hired guns." She said. "Also we have a GPS. 176 Tendoy."

"Good thanks." Don said. "What are the Russians doing working with Islamic fundamentalists and with a history department chair."

"I can work on pattern analysis" Charlie suggested.

"I am going to Tendoy. I want SWAT and LAPD there when we get there, but tell then to hold back until I give the go." Don said.

Charlie nodded feeling a little useless just then as the team went out.

Don and his crew rolled up to a group of officers standing by. "Microphone gives six in the house. So does heat signatures. One of the voices is a woman."

"Our hostage." Don said nodding.

"We have visual on two and they have semi automatics."

"Alright. Let's stay low and sneak in." Don said as they moved along toward the house. He was chewing gum as normal and had his shooting glasses on his face.

The team made it to the side door where no one was watching because it was assumed a better approach. Don and the men lined up. Don listened under the window.

"Shut up you whore?" Wittmore growled inside the house.

"James. Why are you doing this?" Espa asked.

"Why?" He sounded surprised. "Are you so naïve?" I have financial backing from the Russians. I will use that to help my Islamic brothers destroy this corrupt country."

"But you promoted understanding…You can not trust these men…They will betray you James." Espa said.

"I trust them far more than the little bitch who found something so valuable and would not even let me have it."

"Call it intuition." She said her voice suddenly angry.

"Shut up harlot or I will send them a corpse."

"I am not afraid of death James. Besides you already are planning to. Why else would you have told me about your treason to our country?"

"Ahh…so not so naïve as I thought. You know you were always my brightest colleague."

Don sighed. Espa was getting bold and could wind up dead before they could save her.

"Tell me….Why did you have them all killed? The agents did nothing. They were only there at my godfather's request. They had no part in this. They all had families." She watched him as he paced about her.

"What you have has caused people to die before. God will see them safe."

"God…I don't think you even know what that is…murderer." She hissed.

Don raised his hand. "Three…Two…One…Execute…Execute…" he whispered into his radio.

The door was knocked in. "FBI!"

The men cried as they rushed in. They dove for cover as fire came at from two Russians. Wittmore moved and freed Espa holding her close with a large military knife at her throat as he dragged her backwards along the hallway.

Don shot one of the Russians. The other fell to Megan's shots. They moved along cautiously barking clear as they searched rooms.

"Espa?" Don called as he walked to the back of the house.

"Don watch out!" Espa's voice cried as she saw the trap that was set. She was dragged back. She whimpered as Wittmore moved up the back stair with her in tow.

As they came to the next room two Muslim men stood up. One had a hand gun and the other a shotgun. They kept the FBI agent's heads down until the shotgun jammed. Don stood up and fired taking the men down.

The handgun fired, but the man had been watching his friend fall not where his bullet went. It grazed Don's arm and buried in the wall. He gasped in pain.

"Drop the gun!" David barked his gun trained on the man.

The man did not and lifted his hands in surrender.

Don moved on with David and Colby as the man was taken down and handcuffed.

They went up the stairs. They cleared rooms until they came to the master bedroom. Wittmore stood against the wall holding Espa as a shield with the knife pressed to her neck.

"Let her go." Don said holding his Glock trained on them.

"No. Not without the artifact and my ticket out of here." Wittmore said.

"You are going to hell. That is your ticket James." Espa hissed.

"Shut up bitch." He said gripping her bandage arm causing her to cry out.

"You're surrounded Wittmore. You have no choice. Let her go now."

"I can take the director's pet with me. You know he killed his agents. If they had not been there they would not have died."

"You still had five others killed."

"Was supposed to be six, but this one…" he pressed the blade harder and yanked her hair. "Was clever as always…"

Espa looked directly at Don. She took a breath and winked at him though it was clear she was in pain. He was not sure what to make of that until she kicked back with her foot and jumped a step sideways.

Don understood and fired two rounds. The slugs tore through Wittmore's exposed chest.

As Wittmore fell stunned at the turn of events the blade cut Espa's neck. She was forced to go down with him. She felt him go limp behind her calling to Allah to take his soul.

She felt Don move the knife away and pull her away from the corpse. She pressed a hand to her neck. He pulled it away to look as she lay on the ground looking at him.

"Breathe deeply Espa." He told her. "Stay with us." He said as he looked at the wound a moment.

"You're hurt…" She pointed to his arm where it bled freely.

"So are you?" he said as he pressed his hand and a cloth to her neck. She hissed as it stung.

"I thought you would not come." She said looking at him.

"Shhh…" he smiled. "I promised to keep you safe remember. Just don't run off again alright."

She took a breath. The wound on either was not serious, but both were bleeding steadily. Megan knelt. She had already called for medics to come in for Espa and Don. She kept Espa down as Don talked to her gently.

"And now I present page thirty-four of the Quran to the LA museum of History and Art for the loan of two years from the Cairo Museum in Egypt." Espa said. She dressed in a beautiful dress of scarlet with her hair pinned up on her head. Twin curls framed her beautiful face. Her neck had a scarf hiding her wounds. She wore earrings that matched her dress.

Don and Charlie sat at a table in the crowd wearing their best. Espa had invited them to come to the Gala. Near them sat Director Hodges.

She gave the glass encased paper to the museum director. She then turned back after much applause.

"I also would like to share my words of thanks, though they are never enough to the FBI for their hard work and dedication." Her eyes fell on Don and Charlie. She then took a breath. "I always wish to say thank you to the brave agents and my dear friends who lost their lives." She lifted her glass "To a better world and to those who have died to make it so."

"Cheers!" came the crowd.

Don and Charlie drank to the toast. Indeed. A better world.

Espa got down and put a microphone on her cheek as the MC stood up. "Dr. Urriolabetia is again treating us this evening by singing as part of tonight's entertainment. This song is dedicated to those who died recently. I give you…"The Voice".

Espa began to sing. Charlie wand Don looked at each other stunned. Espa was a very good singer. She looked so beautiful as she began to sing the beautiful song.

I hear your voice on the wind  
And I hear you call out my name.

Listen my child you say to me  
I am The Voice of your history  
Be not afraid - come follow me  
Answer my call and I'll set you free.

I am The Voice in the wind and the pouring rain  
I am The Voice of your hunger and pain  
I am The Voice that always is calling you  
I am The Voice and I will remain

I am The Voice in the fields when the Summer's gone  
The dance of the leaves when the Autumn winds blow  
Never do I sleep throughout all the cold Winter long  
I am the force that in Springtime will grow

I am The Voice of the Past that will always be  
Filled with my sorrows and blood in my fields  
I am The Voice of the Future  
Bring me your peace, bring me your peace  
and my wounds they will heal

I am The Voice in the wind and the pouring rain  
I am The Voice of your hunger and pain  
I am The Voice that always is calling you  
I am The Voice

I am The Voice of the Past that will always be  
I am The Voice of your hunger and pain  
I am The Voice of the Future  
I am The Voice, I am The Voice

I am The Voice, I am The Voice

At the end of the song she got a standing ovation. Don cheered as loudly as everyone else as she bowed.

He looked at Hodges who dipped his head. Earlier the man had been very thankful to Don and had given him much kudos on his record for a job well done. Espa was his goddaughter and Don had seen her safely restored.

Espa got down as the next number started and the people about quieted. She shook hands as she walked.

"She can sing…" Don smiled.

"And well." Charlie added.

"And it is natural." Espa said at Don's elbow as she joined them.

"Espa." Don greeted. "How is your neck?" he asked noting her face had makeup to hide the fading bruises.

She touched the scarf. "Better. How is your arm?"

"Fine." He said waving his hand with a smile.

"Walk with me." She said softly.

He nodded and he and Charlie both took an arm gently and walked with her outside the gala hall. "We needed to escape anyway." Don said

She turned to them. "I can never thank you enough you know." She said to them.

Charlie waved it off. Espa smiled and kissed his cheek. "Stay safe." She said. She then turned to Don and held out a business card. "Stay in touch Agent." She said and lifted an eyebrow.

He did not miss it. He smiled noting Charlie there her reached into his pocket. "I almost forgot." He held a silver chain and laid it on her neck. He did the clasp behind gently, his finger lingering on her neck a moment longer than he had to.

She looked down and smiled a little. "My necklace." She said.

"Your sign helped us you know. It is only fitting that I return it to you. Your mother should be very proud of you."

"Good. I wondered if you would see it again." She smiled. "Your mother is proud of you as well Don." She touched it and inhaled.

As close as he was Don had a great view of her cleavage and he coughed a little as he watched her breathing.

Charlie had started for the door.

"I will see you soon." He said holding out his hand to her.

She shook her head and hugged him kissing his cheek firmly. He turned his head and caught her mouth. She was surprised, but relaxed into the kiss as his hands came up behind her pressing her slightly against him.

Don pulled back and smiled at her blushing face. "Oh we will see each other soon." Don said his hands on her hips.

"I will count on it Agent." She said.

They both smiled and laughed as Don went after his brother as she stood there flushed from his kiss and his words.


	2. calculated risk

**This takes place during the episode Calculated Risk. I have added and played around with the plot, but I do not own it or the characters. **

**Calculated Risk**

12 Billion6374

Lost Pink Slips

1

IndictmentsWitness

Special Agent Don Eppes was sitting on the couch of his apartment turning a card over and over. He looked at the writing again for what had to be the three hundredth time. He was having an inner debate to call the woman he knew he had found as a possible soul mate. He had promised his dad he would give his next relationship a shot though and not try to butcher it in any way. Espa Urriolabetia knew about his work and his commitment to the job. He also knew she was equally as work driven in her field. What was stopping him?

Nerves…He looked again at the scrolled and loopy computer text she had chosen.

Dr. Esperanza Urriolabetia

Professor of Islamic History

History Department

Mail Stop 3400

California – Scientific University 91020

Home – 1500 N Thomson Dr. Apt C

Los Angeles, California 91022

W. 314 – 555 – 1932

C. 314 – 555 – 4605

H. 314 – 555 – 1856

E1. urriespecal. looked at the part that she had scratched out and rewritten.

143 Contallo #2

Biscay, Spain

Her address from when she had been a student no doubt. He looked at her writing and smiled. She had used a filler pen and her finger had smudged a not quite dry part before she had given it to him…

He took a breath and swallowed. "And work."

He swallowed and called up the cell. He looked at the time on the clock. It was just after ten AM. She was most likely teaching. He heard it pop to voicemail and smiled.

"Hello everyone. This is Esperanza's cell phone. Not Esperanza. Please leave your name and repeat it and the number twice and I will get back to you at the next most available time. Thank you." She took a breath on the phone and then seemed to put the same message in another language he did not recognize. He wondered if that was Basque. It sounded cool.

The machine beeped and he took a breath. "Hey Espa. It's Don. Remember Don Eppes. Well I finally got some time to call and chat. I know you are teaching now, but feel free to call and we can go out for coffee or something more if you would like. Please call me back. You have my number. Again this is Don Eppes calling you."

He hung up and sighed. That sounded horribly awkward…He then smiled. She would answer him and he would be able to have a wonderful dinner and a wonderful time with her.

He muttered setting the card down as he picked up his phone again. "Eppes."

He drove quickly to a neighborhood for the rich. The victim was some CEO who had blown the whistle on a huge fraud case. Don stepped in and sighed. Megan had also told him that there had been a witness, the woman's ten year old son named Daniel.

"Twenty bucks says that gun goes nowhere…" Colby was saying as he pulled on a pair of gloves.

"I don't know. I think we might find something." Don said looking about the room. "Doesn't look very professional to me."

"Why is that? 'Cause he missed?" Colby asked. "Pros miss, you know."

"Yeah, only this one didn't" Megan said coming into view. She had been talking to Daniel.

"So who is she?" Don asked David as he knelt by the dead woman.

"Victim's name is Lucinda Shay." David answered.

"Shay. Why do I know that name?" Don asked looking her over

"She was Chief Financial Officer at Syntel Corporation."

"Oh yeah. That's that energy company. The big stock fraud case." Don said straitening. "Bankruptcy, all that?"

David nodded. "And Shay was the whistle-blower. Her testimony was supposed to sink the other executives."

"Well, looks like she did pretty well before she blew the whistle." Colby said looking at the home.

"Witness for the prosecution doesn't show for a prep session…AUSA called the marshals and they find this." David said.

"Multiple gunshots. They found a Beretta lying near the body." Colby said. "Four spent rounds. Estimated the time of death as a couple of hours ago."

"And why weren't the marshals on it?" Don asked.

"Nobody ordered protective custody." David said.

"Why is that?" Don asked.

"White collar fraud case. No one expects Martha Stewart to go down in a hail of bullets." Colby said.

"Well, we should get the whereabouts of everybody of everybody she was testifying against, that's for sure." Don said looking about as they covered the body.

"You really want to ask the CEO of the Syntel Corp where he was at 8:00am this morning?" Colby asked.

"Yeah that's right." Don said cocking his head wondering why his team was objecting.

"Thomas Galway?" David asked. "We'll ask if we get past the lawyers."

Colby and David sighed after looking at each other and they went to go on their mission.

Don took a breath and went to see Megan where she was sitting at the dining room table with Daniel the small young boy that was now orphaned because of this killing. The poor kid was alone and he was either too scared or too emotional to talk.

+

"Eppes?" Don said picking up his phone as it rang at his side as he came onto his office floor.

"Hey Don…" a soft Mediterranean voice that sent a shiver down his spine said. Lord, she had a wonderful accent. Soft and seductive without even trying to be. He wondered if all Basques spoke that way or just first generation ones who studied in the homeland.

"Espa." Don smiled a little. It was good to hear her voice again after about two weeks. "How are you?" Espa was in her school office taking a break from a one hundred level class's work.

"Well I am still in my boot, but everything else is better thanks to you and the gang."

"Ahh…it was nothing. Just doing the job you know."

"Nothing? You saved my life." She sounded a little affronted. She then chuckled. "Well would you like to go get a coffee?"

"Oh I think we can do better. How about dinner at seven? Wherever we wind up…?" Don said looking out his window.

"Sure…one thing though…ummm…We will have company."

"Oh?" Don cocked his head.

"Yeah…my little sister is coming into town later. Got to hang out with her for a week…you know be a big sister and all that. I hope that is okay."

He deflated a little. "Yeah that is fine…of course…" He said nodding.

"I will make it up to you I promise. I just haven't seen her in months."

"No problem. So how little of a sister?" He asked envisioning a twenty-one year old obsessed with beer and seeing the nightlife of LA. Don having to go haul her ass out of jail for her sister…

"She's eleven. Her name is Lupe…"

"Eleven…wow…you really are a big sister. Unlike me…who has a younger brother, but he is here, but equally as much a pain in my ass at times."

She laughed. It was such a musical laugh…Lord, he had missed that too. "Oh yes…the penalty of being oldest."

"Yes. Wow…I had no idea you knew what I felt there. I mean we both lost our mothers, but to be both older siblings…"

"I know…funny huh?"

"Kinda." He looked about smiling.

"Well I need to get going to the airport. I will see you seven-ish at my apartment. You know where it is no?"

"Yeah…a few blocks away from downtown in that nice new gated complex."

"Yep. See ya then Don."

"Bye Espa."

Esperanza Urriolabetia's hands were full. She had just picked up her eleven year sister that she had not seen since Christmas last year. The two spoke on the phone at least twice a week and Lupe wrote letters to her older sister whom she thought of as a surrogate mother and mentor.

Espa had totally forgotten what it was like to have a kid around who was active, but she would cope. She was a woman after all and she had done this before. She just needed to get in the groove. No matter how busy she was Espa would answer email, talk on the phone, or write a letter to her baby sister to keep her up to speed on her life in California.

Esperanza looked over at the petite little thing next to her. She smiled knowing she must have looked that sweet and innocent when she was her age. Lupe's large brown eyes were opened wide taking everything in.

"Welcome to California, Munchkin." Espa told her as she drove home.

"There is so much to see here Mouse."

"Yep."

"Do I get to see your work at the college?"

"Sure, but it might bore you." She smiled at the girl. "I have a couple classes that are three hours long." She chuckled. "You also will be able to meet Don. He saved my life and he is my…boyfriend I guess you could say. Well we are actually not really dating…yet…but…"

"Mouse and Don sitting in a tree. K-I-SS-I-N-G. First comes love….the comes marriage…" The girl teased.

"Alright…alright." She hissed at the little girl who grinned at her. "How's dad?"

"Good. He misses you. Says I have to give you a huge hug from him."

"Yeah." Espa pressed a button on her phone and put her blue tooth in her ear. "Speaking of…" She said as she looked about. "Hey dad…yeah…she's here…yeah we are going to have fun. A little yoga…some TV…having dinner with the man I am dating…" She paused. "Oh no…he doesn't mind he is a big brother too…who is he? Daddy…all right…he is the man who saved my life. Yeah the FBI agent." Another pause. "Good. I will see you later. Bye now."

"Don works for the FBI? Wow…" The small girl said as her eyes got wider as Espa pulled up to the gated neighborhood where she lived.

Don worked with his crew and Charlie was they talked about what was going on. He sighed knowing he would have to go talk to the kid. Better now than later.

He walked and knocked on the door.

Megan who was playing cards with the kid looking up. Don nodded to her. She turned back and nodded to Daniel. "I'll be right back okay?"

Don watched the kid who seemed to have retreated into himself.

Megan sighed.

"How's he doing?" Don asked.

She cleared her throat. "There's some blunt affect in response to the trama."

"What's that, like some kind of post-traumatic shock kind of thing?"

"A little. This is more immediate and hopefully it's temporary. But he's like an overloaded circuit. He's just shut down right now."

"I'm going to need him to talk to us." Don said.

"I know that. But he's too fragile right now."

"I know, but if he knows who shot his mother…"

"It's exactly the problem. He probably did, and he's a little boy and he's terrified." Megan said softly. "And if we push him too far now, we may never get what we need."

"All right. All right." Don said. He walked into the room leaving Megan outside. "Hey Daniel. I'm Don Eppes. Remember. From before?" He said sitting down in Megan's vacated chair. The kid's silence was worrying him. "Look, I'm…I'm sorry about what happened to your mom. You know, I know how rough this must be for you, what…what you must be thinking."

Don sighed knowing people had been trying to get to the kid through that approach all day with no success. "Actually, you know to be honest, I…I don't know what you're thinking, but I…I do know something about what you're feeling." He said watching the kid's eyes remain glued to the table and cards. "You know, not too long ago my mom died." That made Daniel looked up. "Yeah. She was like the one person who had the…the right answer for everything. You know, I mean all the time. And then, all of a sudden she was gone."

Don bit his lip watching the kid. He sighed. "Here's what I am hoping, that you and I maybe could partner up. Maybe help each other out. I need to know if you saw anything this morning Daniel."

Daniel shook his head. "No."

"You sure?"

"The doorbell rang…"

"And your mom answered it?" Don watched as Daniel nodded. He leaned forward a little. "Did you hear any voices?" Daniel shook his head.

"Just the gun."

"What about after? Did you see anything, hear anyone?"

Daniel shook his head and looked down again.

"All right, okay. Hey that's a good start, good job." Don leaned back.

"I want…I want her to come back." Daniel said looking up at Don his eyes so full of pain that it broke Don's heart.

"Yeah. I know you do. Me, too." Don said softly.

Don looked at his charge in the back seat as he drove to the gated community that Espa lived in. He had refused to allow the kid to go into a group home for the night. He decided to have him stay with him. Espa he was sure would not mind especially since she had another eleven year old coming along too. He drove up the speaker and pressed the button next to Espa's name.

"Yes?" Espa's voice came over the intercom.

"It's me Don…"

"Cool. We'll be down in a sec. Third building on the left." She said as the gate began to open.

"Who are we meeting?" Daniel asked leaning forward.

"My friend Esperanza. Her sister coming too. She's your age. Her name is Lupe." Don said looking in his rearview mirror a second before driving forward.

Espa came out as he pulled up with a small pixie of a girl with long curl brown hair and large brown eyes came out. Espa opened the side door for her sister to get in and saw Daniel. "Hello?" She smiled as Daniel moved over and Lupe jumped in.

Espa looked at Don who cocked his head with a 'I'll tell you in a sec' look. She nodded a little and climbed in the front. Don looked at her bare knees before she smoothed he skirt over them. She wore a pretty camisole with a light blazer over it. She wore a knee high boot on her good foot and her medical boot on the other. A strange combination, but she seemed comfortable with it.

He smiled at her over his sunglasses. He put the car in gear as he looked back. "Everyone in your seatbelts?"

"Yeah." Chimed two exasperated young voices.

"Yes." Espa said smiling as she looked at him as she finished hers.

He looked back as he drove to see the kids taking each others hands. "Hi I'm Lupe."

Espa looked back.

"I'm Daniel."

Espa looked at Don. "So…Daniel is…?"

"He is a…look his mother died…and I thought Lupe could…" Don looked at her. "Well…where for dinner?"

"Lupe eats anything." She said. "Wherever you want to go." She smiled.

"I was thinking there was this great steakhouse…"

"Sounds good." She smiled. "So Daniel. I'm Espa." She said turning. "Nice to meet you." She smiled at him.

He smiled back at her and took her hand. "Hi…"

"Hi. I am a professor at Cal-Sci."

"You look really young." He said.

She smiled. "Thank you. You just passed your first exam. Some men could learn from your example." She shot a teasing look at Don. Don just pursed his lips and rolled his eyes at her.

Don pulled up to the steakhouse and got out. He opened the door for Lupe and lifted her down. He then put her on the ground with a smile. "Nice to meet you Lupe. I'm Don."

"Mouse tells me you work for the FBI." She said taking his hand with a giggle. He looked down at her small pixie hand in his large one.

"Yeah I do…" He said swallowing as he nodded.

"Do you have a gun?" She asked looking up at him.

"Yeah I do." He said looking at her a little uncomfortable with the bubbly preteen questions.

"Mouse, huh?" Don asked arching an eyebrow as he walked around to open the door for Espa. Espa took his free hand and got down. He smiled at her. She smiled back. "Mouse?!" He cocked his head.

"My nickname since she couldn't say my name growing up." She shrugged.

"Ahh…" He nodded. He looked at Daniel and smiled. He clicked the lock on his car key chain and put a hand around Espa's back. Lupe still held his hand and she giggled again. All Don could do was roll his eyes at her and then look at Espa who smirked at him. She was not at all helping him.

They walked in. The hostess looked up. "Four."

"Yes please." Don said.

She showed them to their table.

As they were finishing the manager came over and smiled at the kids who were talking quietly about kid things. Espa and Don were also talking quietly about things, but mostly minor things like sports since the kids were present. "It is so good to have a family come in. We never have such quiet children here. We almost forgot they were here."

Don looked up and opened his mouth to speak, but he caught Espa's look and pursed lips. He shut his mouth and cocked his head at her. He blinked at her as she looked up with a sweet smile. "Isn't it." She said looking at Don with a half smile playing on her lips.

"Feel free to come back anytime Mr. Eppes. Mrs. Eppes." He said walking passed.

"Thanks." Don said finally breaking his silence. He looked at her as the manager walked off. "Espa…" He looked at her. "Mrs. Eppes? How could you allow him to think that? I mean we…" Her look silenced him again.

"Shh…they do not need to know he is work." She said softly.

"So I though since he has bonded with Lupe that you…well you and Lupe…could come over and stay with him at Charlie's house." He looked at her. "And you…you are a…"

"A woman?" She asked. Her tone and eyes were playful.

"Well yeah…I know nothing about kids." He shrugged looking at her. "I mean…you have such a younger sister…I thought…"

She smiled. "Ahh…" She nodded.

"So dessert." He said breaking the moment. "Who wants ice cream?" Don asked looking at the three around him as the check came.

"Ice cream?" Espa asked.

"Ice cream?" Lupe perked up.

"Ice cream." Daniel smiled.

"So dark clouds have silver linings." Espa smiled at him.

"Yeah there is a great vendor in the park." He said looking at Espa as he put his card in the folder. The waiter took it. He smiled and leaned back. The waited returned with the check. Don signed and left a tip.

"Ready?" He asked Espa. When she nodded he looked at the kids. "Ready?"

"Sure Don." Lupe giggled.

Don looked at Espa helplessly. He looked at her neck where the necklace rested at her throat. The Basque cross flickered back the low light in the room. She stood up and straitened her skirt. With her knee high boot with hardly any heel did nothing to make her taller. She was still a petite five-four woman.

He rubbed her back gently as they went back to the car. The two kids followed quietly behind. Don helped Lupe in as Daniel and Espa got in.

Don smiled at Lupe as she looked at him nearly at face level where she sat on the suburban seat. She smiled at him. "Do you know how much you look like your sister?" Don asked trying to think of something he could talk with her about. He smiled as he helped her belt in.

"No…do I?" She asked. "I can't believe Mouse's boyfriend is a police officer. It is so cool. Wait until I tell all my friends at school. They will think it is so cool." She smiled. "Don you are so cool."

"Thanks…" He said checking the seat beat not bothering to change the boyfriend comment. He actually liked the thought of dating Espa. He had never had dealt with a pre-teenage girl before and it was unnerving him a little. "Yeah. Just as pretty, but you giggle more." He smiled as he caught Espa's gaze on him before he shut the door.

He got in and smiled at Espa. They drove to the park for ice cream. They got out. Don watched the kids walk out side by side. Don walked beside Espa. He pressed a hand the small of her back. She smiled at the gently caress. It was familiar and exciting and shot strait down her spine.

He walked to an ice cream vendor and held up four fingers. The man nodded. "Ocho dollar Senor…"

Don pulled out his bill fold and paid the man. "Gracias." He said.

"De nada Senor. Gracias" The man nodded as Don handed out the ice cream bars to the kids and then gave one to Espa. The kids went sat down on grass near a bench. The adults sat down on bench walking. Espa had already opened hers and had taken a large bit out of it.

Don sat beside her and started into his bar. He looked down as Lupe was having problems opening hers. He leaned down and plucked it from Lupe's hands. He smiled at her and opened it for her. He handed it back. "There you are sweetie."

"Thank you Don." She giggled and sat down beside Daniel to eat again.

"You will be a good dad some day. I can see why you were a great big brother. For someone who has no knack with kids…you are good enough." Espa smiled. "She likes you."

"I think she likes me being an agent with a gun more."

"Maybe." She chuckled. She bit more off and smiled. "You are very kind to take us to dinner…"

"Well I was hoping you would help me…"

"Of course." She said. "I will go with you. What happened to Daniel?" She whispered.

"His mother was killed and he was there." He said gently.

"And he doesn't remember much does he?" She asked softly

"Not much…just bits…" Don said eating some of his.

She sighed and looked at him. "I will do all I can for you…I owe you."

He smiled. "I do thank you and you don't owe me." He smiled and bent and kissed her cheek softly. He reached up and touched her hair. He then bent to kiss her his hands cupping her face. His mouth was an inch from her, he could feel her breath on his cheek…

"Don…" Lupe said looking up at him.

Daniel was watching as well. Don looked and smiled awkwardly and pulled back his hand still against her cheek. He raised his eyebrows at Espa who smiled at him sweetly. Ahhh…kids…

Lupe was looking at them wide eyed. "Were you going to kiss? Ewwwwwww…"

Espa smiled and blushed as she looked down looking embarrassed at Don who looked down and pursed his lips as he held his ice cream between his legs and shook his head. It would be easier when Espa and he were alone.

Daniel giggled. He had finished his ice cream was enjoying the sun.

Don coughed a little and looked about as he finished his ice cream. Espa was nearly done. She was sucking the ice cream from the stick. Don was captivated for a few moments. She was watching the kids and not paying attention to him. Don shifted a little as he felt himself get hard watching her. He could not believe she was eating like that. He was imaging other things that he really should not…at the moment…with kids there.

"Are we ready to go?" He asked looking about as she finished.

The kids and Espa nodded. He chuckled and led the group back to his car. He drove to Espa's apartment so she could pack a day bag so the two girls could stay at the Eppes home as well and hopefully help Daniel feel safer.

They drove to the Eppes family home. The kids were talking in the back and Don watched Espa as she looked about. It brought him back to when he had first brought her to his family home two weeks earlier as a federal witness to keep her safe.

"This neighborhood is so pretty. I wish I could live here." She said.

"What do you like about it?" Don asked looking at her.

"It is so clean and the trees are big. It is kind of like some of the neighborhoods in Idaho." She said.

"Well Lupe should feel right at home then huh?"

"Yeah. She feels right at home anywhere." She sighed. "She's a little chameleon when she wants to be."

Don looked in his rearview at Lupe. The small Basque girl's skin looked like copper from the evening light coming in through the tinted windows. Her dark eyes were wide as she took in her surroundings.

They pulled into the driveway and Don jumped out. "I'm going to find Charlie…can you…?"

She nodded and gathered the kids with her and their things. Don walked into the home removing his gun from his side. He took a breath seeing Alan there.

"Charlie is that you?" Alan asked from the front room where he was sitting.

"No, Dad, its me. How you doing?" Don asked walking to him.

He heard the front door open behind him as the rest of the gang came in.

"Fine…" Alan said not looking up from his book. "What are you doing here so late? Dinner's been put away already…"

"No, that's okay…Look…"

"If you're looking for Charlie, he's not here yet."

"Well, a-actually, I…I think I can talk to you. I mean, I'm sure he'll be okay with it, but…" Don turned as Daniel walked into the home as Espa shut the door. Alan followed his son's gaze and cocked his head.

"And who is this?" He asked looking from the boy to his son and back again as he removed his reading glasses.

"That is Daniel." Don said simply.

A little dark haired bombshell walked to Daniel as they both looked around. She was a great deal shorter than the boy as she took in things like he did. Though the same age Lupe had not had a large growth spurt yet it would appear.

"And Lupe." Don said with a smile. "She is Esperanza Urriolabetia's sister. Remember Espa?"

Lupe looked at him and giggled giving him one of her amazing smiles that would keep butter from melting in her small mouth. Daniel looked at Alan as well and nodded shyly.

"Yes I remember Espa. Donnie…what is…" He saw Espa in the shadows and looked at his son a moment before standing up.

Behind the kids, carrying the two daypacks was Espa. She came further in and dipped her head and smiled at Alan. "Hello Alan." She said her smile equally as golden as her sister's.

"Espa…good to see you again." Alan said. "Come in. Have you eaten?"

"Yes…Don was kind enough to take us out. Thank you though Alan." She said as she set the bags down in the hall and came to them.

Alan smiled and went to a cabinet and got out paper and colored pencils and led the kids to the dining room to draw and talk since it was clear that Lupe had befriend the shy blonde Daniel by how she took his hand and led him there.

Don watched and then looked at Espa who smiled. "She's fearless, but she has a kind heart. Like some other people I know." She said looking Don up and down a moment before turning.

He caught her arm gently and turned her to him. She looked up at him a question on her face. He smiled a little. "I thank you and Lupe so much for everything."

"I know Don. It is okay. I understand. More to the point I understand him." She said and turned away to look for drinks for the kids as well as the adults. She found Don and herself a beer and milk for the kids. Don smiled at her. She had cracked it for him already and everything. She gave him his drink with a smile and then walked with the tray to the kids.

She set the milk down along with some chocolate syrup and smiled at them. She whispered to them and then looked back at Don a moment before looking at the pretty horse Lupe had drawn.

"Are you sure we can do this? I mean…legally?" Alan asked his son softly as he looked in at the two kids.

Espa came back to the adults and folded her arms as Don looked through the mail on the table.

"Yeah, I mean, you remember my friend Nadine? That prosecutor? She said it was okay. And Espa has been a great help." He said nodding to her. "Plus Witness Protection wouldn't take him."

"You do realize that if anything happened to him, it's our responsibility." Alan said eyeing his son.

Espa took a sip of her beer and sighed. "Yeah we all know that Alan. I wanted to help. He is just a kid. I remember feeling like he is…and I am an adult. A kid would be much harder. Added on to having your mother killed feet from you…" She shook her head.

"I know. You're right, its probably not a good idea." Don said softly. "I don't know, I mean…"

"As opposed to what?" Alan asked. "Putting him in one of those homes on the same night that his mother was murdered?"

"Exactly." Espa said softly and nodded.

"That's what I thought." Don whispered as Alan turned to look at the kids.

"What I meant was, uh, something better not happen to him." Alan said.

Espa nodded her head as she took another sip of her beer. She went back in and patted Daniel's shoulder as she went and sat by him.

"Yeah, I know." Don said.

"You know it is about time for you two to go to bed." Espa said. "And you young lady it is well passed your bedtime and I see you drooping over there…" She said with a smiled

Don turned with Alan to watch her as she stepped easily into the mother role.

"Sing for us Mouse."

"No Munchkin." Espa said.

"Please…I haven't heard you since Christmas. Sing an Irish one. You are so good at it. "Pl……eeeeaaaa….ze." Lupe begged looking up at her sister.

Espa sighed. "Oh all right. Come here." She said patting her lap.

Don blinked as she began to sing. She held her sister close and kept looking from Daniel to Don and Alan as she sang the soft song. Son had the strange feeling she had picked the song she sang for his benefit as much as the youngsters.

I don't know if you can see  
The changes that have come over me  
In these last few days I've been afraid  
That I might drift away  
I've been telling old stories, singing songs  
That make me think about where I've come from  
That's the reason why I seem  
So far away today

Let me tell you that I love you  
That I think about you all the time  
Caledonia, you're calling me, now I'm going home  
But if I should become a stranger  
Know that it would make me more than sad  
Caledonia's been everything I've ever had

Now I have moved and I've kept on moving  
Proved the points that I needed proving  
Lost the friends that I needed losing  
Found others on the way  
I have kissed the fellas and left them crying  
Stolen dreams, yes, there's no denying  
I have traveled hard, sometimes with conscience flying  
Somewhere with the wind

Let me tell you that I love you  
That I think about you all the time  
Caledonia, you're calling me, now I'm going home  
But if I should become a stranger  
Know that it would make me more than sad  
Caledonia's been everything I've ever had

Now I'm sitting here before the fire  
The empty room, the forest choir  
The flames have cooled, don't get any higher  
They've withered, now they've gone  
But I'm steady thinking, my way is clear  
And I know what I will do tomorrow  
When hands have shaken, the kisses float  
Then I will disappear 

Let me tell you that I love you  
That I think about you all the time  
Caledonia, you're calling me, now I'm going home  
But if I should become a stranger  
Know that it would make me more than sad  
Caledonia's been everything I've ever had

Caledonia's been everything I've ever had  
Caledonia's been everything I've ever had  
Caledonia's been everything I've ever had

Alan clapped as did Don. Alan leaned toward his son. "She is an amazing singer."

"I know." Don said. "I have heard her before." And this time also took his breath away.

Daniel smiled a little. "You sing better than my mom." He said to her.

Espa smiled. "Thank you."

Alan turned to leave and touched his son's shoulder. "Don't worry, don't worry. You did the right thing. I will get the air mattress and sheets out for the girls." He said as he walked toward the garage.

"Thanks." Don said after him. He walked in with his hands in his pockets to join the kids and Espa. "Hey buddy." He said as he moved and sat down beside Daniel. Lupe smiled at him as she got off Espa's lap and went to sit next to him too. He offered her a smile and then looked back at Daniel.

"I was thinking about what you asked me…" Daniel said not looking at Don. He was looking at Espa a moment and then looked down the table. "You know, about what I saw?"

"Uh-huh." Don said watching him. He had his beer in hand. Espa leaned forward watching Daniel gently with a gentle smile on her face to encourage him.

"There was a car. After I heard the gunshots I looked out the window."

"Do you remember what kind of car it was?" Don asked.

"It was black, or blue maybe. Big, but not as big as an SUV."

"So like a large sedan?" Espa asked softly.

He looked at her nodding. He looked back at Don.

Don nodded listening intently. "You think if I showed you some pictures, maybe you'd remember?" Daniel shrugged as he looked down. "I mean, you just do the best you can. It's, uh…" He bit his lip and looked at Espa who met his gaze before looking back.

"So did you find them?" Daniel asked looking back at Don.

"Who?" Don asked

"The people who killed my mom."

"Why do you think…I mean, are you remembering something?" Don asked leaning forward a little.

"They were talking…at your office." Daniel said.

Don's eyes and mouth opened surprised that the kid had overheard. He swallowed.

"They said there are, like, 6,000 people who wanted to kill my mom." Daniel said.

Espa drew in a sharp breath and her eyes shot to Don's. She slowly exhaled and shook her head a little. Kids never ceased to amaze her by what they picked up.

"Oh, no, no, no. Oh, no, that…that's not, that's not…" Don stuttered a little as he shook his head trying to think of a way to calm the kid's fears without sounding stupid. "I think, the thing is, um, you know, sometimes when we don't know who the bad guys are, we…we start with a really big list. And, uh, I…I…It doesn't mean everyone on it wanted to hurt your mom. I mean, in…in fact…I…I really think we're probably just looking for one person."

Espa's eyes flitted between the two males. It was a decent save, though it was clear Don rarely worked with small children.

Daniel swallowed looking at his hands. Don did as well looking to Espa. She nodded a little again meeting his eyes and giving him a little encouragement.

"Where am I gonna sleep?" Daniel asked changing the subject.

Espa cocked her head as she leaned forward after taking a sip of her beer. Don had also taken a sip trying to think out what to say next on this matter.

"Uh, I thought I'd put you up in my room. How's that? Espa and Lupe will be up there too on an air mattress on the floor. Just to help you know there is someone is there." Don said.

"I am jealous. The bed is nice." Espa said with a smile. Don looked up at her. The playfulness in her eyes was not lost on him, but he figured it would go over the kid's heads.

"Where will you sleep?" Daniel asked.

Espa smiled and cocked her head. "The chair?" She teased him. Again he shot her a look and she smirked into her beer. He shook his head at her and took a sip of his own beer.

"Oh, I don't live here anymore. It's from when I was a kid." Don said. "But it's a pretty good room. I think you'll like it."

"But you're gonna stay, right?" Daniel asked. "You're not going to leave?" The hope and fear in his eyes made Don look back and swallow.

Espa looked at Don and cocked her head. When Don looked to her for help she just shrugged.

"Uh, yeah, I can stay, sure. Yeah. You got it." Don said.

"Alright kids. Come on. Bed." Espa said standing up as she set down her beer. "Clean teeth and PJs." She said. Her tone left no room for argument and Don was impressed. He remembered nights with his mother like that. He stood up with a smile to drink his beer and let her take charge.

Lupe jumped out of her chair and went to Don. She pulled on his suit jacket. "Don?"

"Yeah?" He asked as he removed the jacket and started to roll up his sleeves.

"Can you come up and tuck me in?" She asked. "My daddy does it…and I miss him. I can't sleep without a story…"

Espa looked up and hid a smile. Lupe had no idea how uncomfortable she was making the FBI agent. She knew he could stare down any sort of criminal, but he was completely at a loss with a tiny girl who had neatly wrapped him around her finger.

"Yeah. My mom reads to me too." Daniel said.

Don's eyes shot up at Espa looking for help. "I think Espa could do it better than…"

"Please…" Lupe asked. Her large eyes melted his heart.

"All right." He yielded letting his hands drop. He had never had such a young girl around and she was making him ill at ease, but at the same time it was fun to have her there.

Espa brought over the day bags and handed them to him. "There you go." She said taking his beer with a smile. "Good luck." She whispered

Don took a breath and shook his head as Espa walked to the living room to wait. Daniel was already on the stairs.

Lupe walked a long and yawned and walked into the wall since she turned too late to go up the stairs. Don caught her as she bounced off. "Hey…" He looked down at her sleepy face. "You really are tired." She held up her arms for him to pick her up.

Espa wondered if it was a ploy or if she really was that tired. Either way she could see Don yielding to the tiny thing.

He sighed and then lifted her up in his arms holding her against his hip as he adjusted the gear to his other side. "Come on Munchkin." He said using her nickname that Espa used for her. She looked at him and he smiled at her gently.

He set her down and watched her pull out her PJs and go into the bathroom. She came back after brushing her teeth and climbed into the air bed on the ground. Daniel was already in the bed. They both watched Don intently.

"What should I read?" He asked.

Lupe looked up and then pointed at the _Two Towers_ on the shelf where he had left it two weeks ago. Don looked down at her a moment. "Are you sure you are allowed to hear that?"

"Don…" She said, her sigh was that of exasperation. "I read it myself a year ago." She smiled. "Daddy reads to me out of it."

Don blinked trying to get his head around the fact an eleven year old was reading the advanced book. He sure as hell was not reading such books at eleven. He then sat down in the chair and opened it up. "Well I was in the middle…I was reading it myself." He smiled at her. He then looked up at Daniel who had cuddled down and was watching read to listen as well.

"'A strong place and wonderful was Isengard, and long it had been beautiful; and there great lords had dwelt, the wardens of Gondor upon the West, and wise men that watched the stars. But Saruman had slowly shaped it to his shifting purposes, and made it better, as he thought, being deceived - for all those arts and subtle devices for which he forsook his former wisdom, and which fondly he imagined were his own, came but from Mordor; so that what he made was naught, only a little copy, a child's model or a slave's flattery, of that vast fortress, armoury prison, furnace of great power, Barad-dûr, The Dark Tower, which suffered no rival, and laughed at flattery, biding it's time, secure in its pride and its immeasurable strength'"

Don looked up from the quote and saw that both kids were sleeping. Lupe was very small to begin with, but she looked like a fairy sleeping as she was with her body tucked up against itself and her small hands under her cheek. Daniel was snoring softly. He smiled and turned down the lights and then closed the door and walked quietly down the hall and then down the stairs.

Espa was there sipping her beer as she sat on the couch waiting for him. His beer was on the table beside her as she read the paper. Don sighed and came in. "You know thank God I do not have a little sister."

"Why?" She asked turning to look at him. She smiled at him sweetly.

"Because they are so damn cute and innocent. I would not let her date until thirty because I know what boys in high school and twenties are like." He sat down beside her and rubbed his face. She gave him his beer. "Thanks."

She smiled. "Thank you. She is used to a male tucking her into bed. You are a wonderful brother. I can see you will be protective if you ever have a daughter."

"God forbid." He hissed as he took a drink. He smiled at her then. "We are going to have to go out sometime without children." He smiled and rubbed his neck. "I know the kid feels better having a woman nearby."

She laughed a little. "No…he is better because he has a mentor who can talk to him man to man." He looked at her. Her hand lifted up and touched his neck. "So tight…you need to relax a bit Agent Eppes. You are in knots."

"Am I?" He asked leaning a bit toward her in pleasure as her nails lightly caressed his flesh. She rubbed and nodded at him. "You are like rubbing a wall. Your muscles are so hard."

He smiled. "Can you help it?"

She nodded. "Come and sit on the floor between my legs."

He raised an eyebrow and she sighed shaking her head. He sat down between her knees. She then caressed his neck with her fingers. He dropped his head forward. "My God…" He said. No one had ever touched him so hard and yet it felt really good. Her hands were like magic.

She leaned down and smiled. "Enjoying Agent?"

"Humm…" He said softly.

"You are nearly purring aren't you?" She said a laugh behind the words

"Damn near." He said. He turned and looked at her face so close to his. "Come here." He said lifting his arms up behind him. He turned and pulled her down with him on the floor. She dropped into her knees and he cupped her chin. "Thanks." He whispered and kissed her his hands going into her hair with ease. His fingers were light and sent a shiver through her as he brushed her neck.

She pulled back. "No problem." She said her voice a little higher and a little more breathy than normal.

He smiled at his effect on her, his dark eyes searching her face from where his was inches away from her. His hands reach up and removed the clippie from her hair and he dropped it onto the floor near them. His hands went and shook her hair into a dark rippled waterfall down her back and shoulders. "You are beautiful." He whispered his hand caressing near her ear pushing the hair back. It was silky. He had always like feeling women's hair and he had no idea why. Hers more even than most. It had a lovely scent honey almost to it.

She leaned into the caress. She could tell he knew exactly what to do to make a woman putty in his hands, no doubt from a series of lovers. At the moment she did not care about them because he was kissing her. She leaned forward again and pressed her mouth to his.

He pulled her closer and devoured her mouth feeling her lips and breath against his face. He opened his mouth a little and licked her lips gently in a request to deepen the kiss. Her lips parted a little. His mouth turned a little, his nose bruising her cheek as he used his hands to pull her face closer to his. His tongue stole into her mouth and touched hers gently…almost playfully.

He pulled back enough to smile a little as his eyes opened to look at her perfect bronze skin. He then kissed her again. It was so natural and so comfortable. After a few moments of dueling with her tongue between their mouths he pulled back to allow her to breath and for himself to get a grip of various parts of his body where small fireworks were going off.

They both panted against each other. He pressed his forehead to hers and smiled as she looked at his eyes. His hand was playing idly with her hair at her shoulder his thumb occasionally caressing her cheek.

"Espa…I…" He smiled.

"I really should be getting up to the kids." She smiled at him her eyes swirling with humor as well as lust. She was thinking what he was, that it was shame they were in his family home where brother or father could find them at any minute, let alone the two kids coming in if they needed something. Rationality would win…for now.

"Yeah…" He said smiling as he pulled back and looked at her flushed features as she took a breath to collect herself. He got up and then offered her a hand to help her up. He pulled her to her feet and smiled at her. "I'll stay down here on the couch. If he has nightmares…wake me and I can help huh…" He pressed his lips to her cheek and then her brow.

"Sure thing." She said nibbling her lip a little.

"Good night Espa." He said moving a stray hair back to its place across her face.

"Good night my sweet prince." She said and giggled as she turned and walked from the room moving her hips a little more than she had to as she walked to the stairs.

Don woke up. He stretched. He was in his undershirt and boxers from the day before. He pulled on his pants. A smell wafting in made him smile.

He smelled coffee and knew Espa had to be up. The last time coffee smelled that good she had made it. He walked into the dinning room. She was sipping a cup.

He paused to look at her. Her back was to him. Her hair was in pigtails and hung in a unruly mess from the bands. She wore a camisole of light blue that matched the flannel sleep pants she wore. The sleep pants hugged her hips and the camisole left a little of her trim midriff bare.

He stepped in full with his bare feet and smiled as she looked at him. "Hey." She said softly.

"Hey." He smiled as he reached out and touched her shoulder gently. "Morning."

"Good morning." She said and yawned. "Coffee is ready."

"You brought that good stuff again didn't you." He said as he walked into the kitchen through the door to get himself a cup.

"Yep…I always have a supply." She said.

"A supply? You make it sound like you are an addict." He said through the door.

"Well it is better than more destructive drugs."

After a few moments he came back with his doctored up cup and sipped it. "Should I be worried and looking for track marks?"

"Caffeine IVs are for college students. Lord…I drank so much in college. It is a wonder I still can stand the stuff."

He chuckled. He looked at the clock. "Espa. I need to get ready go to the airport. Can you watch the kid while I am gone? Or do you have lecture?"

"Not for about three hours." She said taking another sip.

"Good…I will have Dad and Charlie cover."

"Think they will mind Lupe too?"

"Na…she is a cutie."

Alan came in fully dressed. He grinned at them. "Morning. Hum…coffee." He said. "I will get a cup to go." He went into the kitchen to get it and then returned out

"Where are you going?" Don asked.

"To get food. We have not had a young kid here for sometime." Alan said.

"Alan…I have lecture in a while. Will you be able to hang out with Daniel and Lupe?" Espa asked. "I can bring them if you can't…or I can cancel…"

"No it is fine. Use whatever you need to cook with Espa. I will be back as soon as I can. I will see you two later." Alan offered a look at his son and looked back over his shoulder at Espa and back to Don who just rolled his eyes.

Don drank down his coffee and then went to go dress for the day. It was seven AM. "You know you don't have to cook for my father and brother…"

"They like it and I like doing it. Go on…besides I owe them for letting me stay again." She smiled.

Espa had gone back to the kitchen to start breakfast for the kids and herself and Charlie if he woke up.

Don went back to the couch where his blankets and a pillow were. He pulled on his shirt from the day before. He could change later. He started to pull on his shoes.

Charlie came down the stairs. "You were here last night." He said coming into the room in his robe and sleep pants.

Don sighed and looked at his watch. "Yeah…"

"Why didn't you sleep in your room?" Charlie asked pointing back over his shoulder.

"Well…"

"Dad went out." Charlie said confused.

"Yeah, he went to pick up some food." Don said as he did his cuffs.

"Right, so who's upstairs?" Charlie asked.

"Look, I couldn't get a hold of you, so I…I asked him and he…he said it would be okay."

"Okay for what?" Charlie asked watching his brother stand and pick up his cell phone.

"For…Lucinda Shay's kid to stay here. Espa, remember Doctor Urriolabetia, and her little sister are here too. They are really helping him relax. If you are lucky Espa will cook for you again." Don said with a half smile as he looked at his cell phone and then attached it to his belt.

"Of course, yeah, that's fine. Daniel Shay is upstairs? With a girl and Espa?"

"Espa is in the kitchen cooking." Don said as he began to tuck in his shirt. "Look, I also need another favor. I got to get to the airport to see if I can catch up with Thomas Galway. You think you could hang here with Espa just a bit until he gets back?"

"You need me to baby sit?" Charlie looked up. "Espa is a grown woman…"

"Yes, but this isn't her house…Besides I just don't think it's a good idea to leave him here alone with out back up you know…fend off the women…or something…" Don strapped on his gun and then put his tie around his neck leaving it to hang there a moment.

"I agree. Actually I have a way with children, so…"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I've been told I do."

"Espa's sister is named Lupe. She is really cute, but a girlie girl. Watch out. She is a bit clingy. Okay, it's just for ten minutes." Don said picking up his jacket from the chair. "Come one, I'll introduce you. Thanks." He said patting his brother's shoulder as he walked passed toward the stairs in a hurry now.

While Don was out tracking down the top CEO who was coming back to the states after his travel pass had worn out, Espa cooked for the two kids as well as herself and Alan and Charlie.

After Daniel settled onto a couch with a book on cars Don had given him as Espa cleaned up. Lupe was in a chair next to him reading _The Two Towers_. Her small body was pretzeled into the seat with her knees up with the book on them so she could look up and read. Her head was on the arm. Her hair was in a simple braid, but again so contorted she looked like a tiny pixie rather than a human. It was hard to imagine her as eleven. It was also easy to have her just melt into the background in her own little world.

Alan came in and sighed before sitting down next to Daniel. "Miss your mom, huh?"

Daniel swallowed. "Yeah…"

"I miss my wife sometimes." Alan sighed. "I lost her about a year and a half ago." Daniel looked up and sighed before looking back at the cars. "You know, it's really okay to miss someone that you love. And, um, I think somewhere, it might even make them happy." He said watching the boy intently. "Sounds weird, huh?"

Espa came out drying her hands. She stayed back in the shadows listening. Alan would be a wonderful grandfather. He had been a good father for two boys and now his experience was helping this boy cope.

"No…No…" Daniel said shaking his head. Both Alan and Espa noted that he stubbornly refused to cry for his mother.

"You just reminded me of Don." Alan said.

"Really?"

"Yeah…Yeah, I'll tell you a secret. When he was your age, he would never let anyone see him cry." Alan said.

Espa cocked her head listening. The insight into Don's personality might help someday.

"He wanted everyone to think that he was a tough guy." Alan continued. "Still does sometimes." There was a pause as Alan let Daniel absorb that. "So what is that you're reading?"

"It's a book on cars."

"Mmm." Alan said cocking his head.

"Don gave it to me to try and help me remember."

"Can I see it?" Alan asked. Daniel passed it over to him. Neither male noticed Lupe as she stretched and then switched positions. Espa had, however, watching the child a second and then she looked back to the others.

"So does he ever cry now?"

"Who, Don?" Alan asked looking at the book. He looked up to see Daniel's nod. "Uh, I don't know." He leaned closer. "Some wise man once told him that it was all right to…to cry when he's sad. And, um, this wise man, well, he's hoping that someday Don's going to figure out its okay."

"Are…are you that wise man?" Daniel asked.

Alan looked up and smiled a little. "Well, that's another secret."

Espa smiled and she noted that Daniel smiled as well at that. She smiled feeling good that the man bonded to the boy. She removed her apron. She was now dressed for work and looked like the bright young professor she was.

Lupe had put her book down and come over to Alan. He picked her up and held her on his knee. "Hello there little one." He said.

"Hi." She said her large brown eyes watching.

"Do you kids want go in the back and play catch with me?" Alan asked as Espa came into view.

"Yeah." Lupe said jumping down.

"Yeah…" Daniel smiled. "Sure."

Espa knelt by her sister. "You be good for Mr. Eppes." She said and hugged her. They gave each other a kiss on the cheek and said a word that Alan nor Daniel understood. She stood up. "I will see you later Daniel." She nodded to him. She then looked at Alan. "Thank you so much…"

"No problem. It is good for them to be together." Alan said.

She leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You are so kind. Be good you three." She said and went out to get in the cab she had called for to take her to her house to pick up her car.

While Alan was making lunch for his son and the eleven year olds, they decided to go exploring. First they looked around the downstairs. They the upstairs. Then the yard. Finally the garage was next.

Daniel opened the door and Lupe followed him in.

Charlie was writing on a chalk board.

"What are you doing?" Daniel asked as Lupe crawled onto the desk and looked at the massive around of numbers on the board.

Charlie jumped and turned around. "Didn't see you there." He offered a smile before turning back.

"What is all that?" Daniel asked again curious.

Lupe sat forward as Charlie turned again.

Charlie cleared his throat. "I'm trying to resolve an anomaly in my data."

"What?" Lupe asked cocking her head her large brown eyes full of curiosity as well.

"Yeah what does that mean?" Daniel asked.

Charlie put his hand on his head before turning. "Um, it means that something, um, in this big equation here doesn't make sense, and I'm trying to figure out why. It's as if those that made money and those that lost money are canceling each other out."

"Weird." Lupe said looking at the board still.

"Your brother said you knew my mom." Daniel said.

"Yeah." Charlie smiled. "I did. I didn't know her well. You know, I only met her a couple of times. But I liked her. What she did took a lot of courage." He said walking to the two kids.

"She was pretty nervous. She didn't think I knew, but I did." Daniel said.

Charlie rubbed his head.

Lupe looked at him. "You got know your mom. All I know are pictures. Mouse was my mom when I was little." She said. She looked down. "She died when I was only months old. I don't really miss her." She looked away as if ashamed. "It is horrible, but how do you miss someone you never knew."

Charlie looked at her as did Daniel. It was a startling confession from the small girl. Normally she was bubbly, but not she was being deadly serious. Charlie could not believe how perceptive these two kids were. He took a breath looking back at Daniel. "Sometimes it's hard to do the right thing."

"That's what she always says." Daniel said. "You know, that nobody's perfect."

"Yeah so does Mouse. Always do the right things and things will work out in the end 'cause we all make mistakes." Lupe said.

Charlie nodded and then turned to look at his board and then back at the two kids. "It is an imperfect world isn't it?" He turned back to the board as Lupe and Daniel looked at each other and blinked. They looked back at Charlie trying to see what he was writing.

Charlie walked by them and then turned back as they turned to watch him go completely confused at what was going on suddenly. "Your mother was a very smart lady." Charlie said patting Daniel's shoulder before he left.

The kids looked back at the board and shook their heads.

Alan peeked in and smiled. "Come on you two. Lunch time."

Lupe jumped down and she took Daniel's hand and led him to the house to eat.

Don came home from trying to go talk to Galway again at the airport. On his way back he went through LA and went to check on Daniel.

Espa had just come about an hour earlier. She was sitting on the porch when he drove onto the driveway. She was coloring the sidewalk with her sister. They both had a bucket of chalk and were giggling to each other in a guttural language as he walked up the sidewalk. He wondered if that was Basque. It sounded like nothing else he had ever heard before. It also explained why they would be speaking it to each other being Basques among themselves.

"Hi Espa. Hi Lupe. How are you ladies? Wow…nice drawings. I don't think our sidewalk has ever looked so good…" He grinned down at them.

"Hi Don." Lupe said not looking up from the flowers she was drawing.

"Hello Don…"Espa stood up and wiped her chalked hands on a towel. "I will be back in a bit Munchkin." She looked at the tall handsome agent who had gone home and changed into a charcoal colored shirt with a black jacket and black slacks. She leaned close as he opened the door. "I was not expecting you until later." She said.

He smiled. "Sorry. I wanted to…"

Alan met them as they came in. "It's the middle of the day. What are you doing here?"

"Well…" Don began

"Is everything all right?" Alan asked as Don have him a reassuring clap on his arms.

"Yeah, I was at the airport. I thought I'd swing by and see how the kid's doing." Don said taking off his sunglasses.

"Well, this is not on the way from the airport." Alan pointed out.

Don shrugged. "Yeah, whatever where is he?"

"He's in there." Alan showed him the young man looking at the book of cars on the dining room table.

"Oh thanks." Don said.

Espa caught is arm. "I will get you a water." She told him.

He nodded. "Hey buddy." Don said walking in to talk to the boy. "How you doing?" Don touched his shoulder gently.

Daniel shrugged. "I've been trying to remember, but I can't."

"Oh, well, that's okay. Don't worry about it. Look if…if it's in here." Don said touching his head. "It'll come out. I mean, when you're ready you'll be able to see it just like you were there, so…so don't stress about it okay?"

Espa came back to the door. Alan was leaning against it with his arms folded listening. She waited a moment to come in to give Don his drink.

"Can I get you anything?" Don asked.

Daniel shook his head.

Espa walked in and gave Don the bottle of water. He smiled a thank you, but his eyes flicked concern seeing Daniel's eyes. Espa retreated back to the door with Alan.

"What's going on? You okay?"

"The bad guys. Will they…will they come after me?"

Don took a deep breath and looked back at the door for encouragement with that one from both Alan and Espa. "Uh…" They both looked back steadily. Don still looked at them a moment before looking back at Daniel. "Look, I'll tell you what. That's not gonna happen. You want to know why? 'Cause we're partners. Partners get each other's backs and nothing is going to happen to you, okay. 'Cause you're my partner."

Alan looked at Espa who offered a soft smile.

Daniel nodded.

"All right? Oh, and they spoke to your grandmother."

"They did?"

"Yeah, she's making arrangements to get you and she's very excited to see you." Don bit his lip a moment and then took a breath. He needed to say this for the kid. His protective nature had kicked in. "Look, Daniel, I'll be honest with you. It's gonna be tough for…for a while, but you'll get through it. You're gonna be okay."

Alan and Espa again shared a look. Espa's eyes and smile were soft and knowing. Don would always be a protective big brother.

"You know how I know that? 'Cause I'm a good judge of people, and you're gonna be okay. All right?" Don said. His voice was gentle and reassuring. It was the voice he had used to reassure Espa when she needed it. His compassion made him a great FBI agent there was no doubt, but so did his drive to win and solve cases.

Daniel nodded.

"All right. I'll check in with you later." Don said as he moved to stand up. He took a big swig of his water. He clapped the boy's shoulder as he returned to his book and glass of coke.

Alan and Espa greeted Don with smiles as he walked to the door.

"What?" Don smiled as he walked between them offering a smile in return.

"Oh, nothing." Alan said with a shrug.

Don touched his dad's arm.

Alan looked back at his son as Espa walked by him and then went to go get some work done.

Don then felt Espa following him. He paused and waited for her to catch up to his stride. She looked up at him. "You really will always be a big brother." She said softly. "I am jealous. I wish I had had one."

"But you were a big sister. Believe me you are much better suited for emotional stuff." Don said at the door. He touched her side gently and then kissed her mouth lightly. "I'll be back."

She nodded as she followed him out. Espa barked something in that strange language, but Lupe moved out of his way.

Lupe was still drawing and Don tiptoed around the works of art on the ground. Lupe could really draw flowers well he noted and saw she was getting her inspiration from the yard.

He squatted down near her. "These are really good you know." He said.

She looked up with her big brown eyes. "Thanks Don." Her chalk covered hand were different colors and that made him smile.

He reached out and tasseled her hair gently. "See ya in a while."

"K." She said and returned to work.

He pulled out his sunglasses and went to his suburban and got in. He waved at Espa who had dropped down and had started to draw again herself. Such minor things entertained women. He sighed. That night he would have to ask her what language she had been speaking. It was interesting to his ears, but he assumed it was Basque since they both were first generation Americans.

Don returned to his office to have a meeting with Nadine, his brother, and Megan. He had reconstructed the fraud of Syntel and shown that five perfect traders had made three hundred and twelve million dollars. He also showed that Lucinda Shay most likely had found it and hence blown the whistle and then she had been killed. David had come in and told them they had not found the traders with the SSN computer.

"Did you run the social security numbers?" Don asked.

"That's the problem." David said as Don, Megan, and Charlie came to he and Colby at their desks.

"Show us. Run them again." Don said.

Colby typed. The computer searched and came up with nothing.

"See." Colby said

"Yeah." Don nodded. "Run the next one."

Colby did again with the same result. "It's the same thing. These traders don't exist."

Don shook his head and started to rub his forehead in frustration.

"But that doesn't make any sense." Megan said. "How can they not be real?"

"It does make sense. It's just a different kind of sense." Charlie said behind them. Don turned to look at him as they all did.

Don stuttered a bit. "What does that even mean, Charlie?"

"Remember, the traders were too good to be true." Charlie said turning to him. "It's reasonable to expect that they were actually false."

"Did Standbury say these people weren't real?" Megan asked.

"No, he said we would never find them. What, do you think he figured it out?" Don asked.

"I don't know, but he's right." Megan said.

"All right, look, I…I mean where are we now?" Don asked.

"The suspect must be from Syntel's energy business." Charlie said. "What variable hasn't changed."

Don's cell phone rang as Megan sighed. "I've been through Syntel's HR reports…"

"Eppes." Don said picking up the phone. "Wait, wait…ho…hold on. Dad, dad, dad, slow down. You're not making any sense." He took a breath. "Right, don't…don't touch anything, don't leave. I'm on my way. Call Espa to meet me there." Don said as he shut his phone.

"What's up?" Charlie asked having seen that reaction before when Espa had run away from the Eppes family home two weeks before.

"The kid is missing." Don said.

Don and Charlie were in the front room with several agents looking around. Espa was with them as she listened to Charlie and Don argue. She had come from her office. She had just finished teaching a class when Alan had called her.

She sighed and shook head as she looked back at Alan walking with Megan. On his arm and very nervous of all the people in the room, was Lupe as she had her little arms around his neck and her head against his chest. She was looking about at all the people.

"I left him alone for, what, it couldn't have been more than five minutes." Alan said.

"It's okay, Mr. Eppes. We're gonna find him." Megan said softly.

"I went into the kitchen to get a couple of cans of soda for us. Lupe was coloring…" He looked down at Lupe who hugged him tightly. He cupped her head with his free hand. "It's okay honey. They are all police like Don." He said softly. She nodded and he kissed her forehead. They walked to Don. "He was standing right…right by the table there. He couldn't have gotten away."

"Dad, calm down." Don said. "Just please just calm down 'cause you're not helping the situation." He touched his arm gently and then looked at Lupe. "It's okay sweetheart." He said reading the fear in her eyes as she looked at him. He also saw the relief at seeing him there. "Did you see him go?" Don asked as he touched her back softly. She reached out a hand as if she wanted him to take her. He took it softly and rubbed her knuckled looking at her face begging for help and information.

She shook her head and buried it against Alan's shoulder shyly. Espa looked at Don and shook her head when he looked at her. The small girl was very shy with all the adult men about and she was clinging to one of two men in the room who would both hold her and reassure her and whom she trusted. Espa suspected she would have preferred Don if he let her, but Alan was a grandfatherly type person and was doing a good job of that role at the moment. The girl no doubt felt the tension in the room and it only made her more nervous and in need of comfort. Espa also suspected the tiny girl was helping Alan a bit as well.

No one noticed Charlie going to the table.

"I would have seen him!" Alan said. He was totally at a loss as he shifted Lupe a little.

"I understand, Dad." Don said.

"It's okay." Megan said.

"Hey, Don, give me a second." Colby called to him. Don turned looking at him. He nodded to Espa to stay put where she was gently rubbing Lupe's back as Alan held her. They talked softly to Megan. "I just talked to David. He said he found something in the Syntel employment records."

Charlie picked up the phone on the table.

"Hold on a second." Don said coming over. "Charlie, you got to keep the line clear." He turned back to Colby. "Say what?"

"Hi…" Charlie said. "Can you hold on a second?" Colby opened his mouth to speak as Charlie cut in. "Dad said he saw him here. I hit redial. It's the National Cab Company."

Don blinked stunned.

"Cab? Why the hell would he take a cab?" Alan asked overhearing as he walked to the group. Espa did as well her face holding curiosity. Lupe lifted her head and cocked it as she looked at the adults.

"All right, I'm on the cab." Colby said.

"Call me as soon as you get anything." Don said. "Megan, Espa, come with me. I think I know where he is." Don said. The two women fell into line behind him as he moved quickly to his suburban.

Alan watched them go as did Lupe. He looked at her. "Come lets go get something to munch on while we wait huh?"

She nodded and smiled at him.

Don opened the door to the Shay home. He kept Espa behind him as he and Megan went into the front room.

"Go that way." Don whispered to Megan. "I'll check upstairs. Espa with me." He said nodding to her.

Megan's hand was on her gun. She nodded.

Don moved to the stairs with Espa behind him, his hand on his own gun. He looked about as did Espa. She looked at him. His hand dropped from his gun as he looked behind doors.

Espa moved as they looked at rooms. Don had relaxed a little. She could tell by how he let her go ahead of him. She knew he would have never allowed that if he sensed any kind of danger here. Hell he most likely would not have even had her come if he had. But she knew why she was here. Daniel knew her and trusted her as much as he trusted Don.

She came to the bathroom and froze. She looked down the hall at Don who was looking in Daniel's bedroom. She snapped her fingers to get his attention. Daniel did not move from where he was. Don came out and looked at her cocking her head. She pointed and nodded in the bathroom.

He nodded and smiled a little as he joined her. He squeezed her arm in a thank you and walked by her and into the room.

Daniel was standing looking out the window.

"Daniel. You okay, buddy?" Don asked coming to him. Daniel turned to him and nodded. "Yeah?" Don asked softly. "You had us pretty worried."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry. I just…I'm glad you're okay."

Espa leaned against the wall outside the bathroom allowing them to bond as men. Megan came up and Espa put a finger to her lips and nodded to the bathroom. Megan half smiled and nodded as she turned to go back downstairs to wait.

"Did you come back to see if you could remember the car?" Don asked. Daniel nodded. Don stepped forward and set his hand on his shoulder as he watched him like a big brother.

"It was a Mercedes. I saw the circle in the book." Daniel said.

"You remember. Good job." Don said with a smile as he leaned against the wall by the window. They looked out and saw David and Colby pull up.

Don turned. "Espa." He called. She jumped a little guiltly at eavesdropping, but then composed herself and walked in. "Hey can you hang out a second with him."

"Sure." She said with smile as Don walked passed her and moved at a quick trot down the hall and down the stairs as David and Colby walked in. "There are employment records for the five traders." David said without preamble.

"Uh-huh." Don said taking them.

"Look who signed as the hiring manager." David said.

"What are they all the same?"

"Yeah." David said.

Don's cell rang. "Wait hold on." He picked it up. "Eppes. Uh-huh. Okay. Thanks for the heads up. Judge just approved Galway's request to leave the country." He looked up the stairs at Espa and Daniel as they stood at the top. "Can you call a cab for you two?"

"Of course Don." Espa said.

He smiled at them. "We're gonna get the bad guy."

They watched him go and then walked down the stairs.

Espa made spoke with some of Don's agents to find out the flight Daniel was on to go meet his grandmother. She changed Lupe's flight plan to go with him to Tulsa at least so he could have a travel buddy. Lupe often traveled by herself in planes so Espa was not worried for her going back to Salt Lake and then Idaho.

She put down her phone as she sat at Alan's table.

Daniel came in. "What are you doing?" He asked as he dropped into a chair next to her.

"Making arrangements for my sister and you to fly together."

"I am sorry her time here had me in the middle of it." Daniel said.

Espa smiled. "I think she didn't mind." She nodded to where the girl sat in the living room. "Did you Munchkin?"

"Daddy isn't going to believe all the adventure." Lupe said. "I wanna come back soon Mouse."

"So you will. I am sure Mr. Eppes, Charlie, and Don would like that."

"Yes we would." Alan said bringing in a tray of milk and cookies for them all to share. He smiled at Espa. "Especially you." He said his voice an undertone.

She laughed and took a cookie as Lupe came and took a glass of milk for herself and a cookie.

Two days later Don was walking to the entrance of LAX with Espa and Lupe. Lupe was pulling her little suitcase with her as she walked beside her travel companion.

There were many people there as was normal for LAX.

Daniel turned near the door and waved at Charlie and Alan who were back at the luggage carts. Alan was standing beside his on who was lounging in them. Espa and Lupe turned as Don did. Lupe laughed and waved at them too. The two men waved back.

Lupe had spent ten minutes earlier holding onto Alan making him promise to call her. Espa had explained all her grandparents had passed on and she craved that kind of love. He was more than happy to give it.

"Whoa, hey I almost forgot." Don said. He reached into his pocket and pulled something out for the two youngsters. "Now, look, we don't give these to a lot of people all right." He said as he stepped in front of them. They took the LA FBI badges and smiled. "So, you're on of us now." Don looked at Daniel. "Okay partner." He turned to Lupe. "And you are too little Munchkin." He smiled before looking back at Daniel. "Call me whenever you want. You two have my number." He looked to see an attendant waiting for them. "And your…your grandmother's going to be waiting for you when you get to the airport, so you got nothing to worry about." He said to Daniel. "All right."

Lupe smiled and came to him. "Don." She hugged him as she left her suitcase standing by Espa. Espa smiled at Don's sudden awkward look he shot her. His hand touched Lupe's back as she hugged his waist. She smiled and gave him an encouraging nod. He sighed and bent down and picked the small pixie of a girl up to hug her better.

She wrapped her arms about his neck and gave him a sloppy kiss on his cheek. "Be good to my sister." She whispered in his ear as he cupped her head and kissed her own cheek. He froze and looked at her a moment and then smiled. "You got it." He told her and tapped her nose. He set her down and turned back to Daniel.

Espa knelt down and hugged her sister and the two of them chattered in the strange language softly.

"Um…" Daniel started. Don cocked his head. "It's okay to cry about your mom." Daniel said. "I mean, if you never did." He said looking down from Don's gaze. Daniel's words had shot through his guard.

Espa looked up from where she was hugging Lupe hearing that. She looked back at her sister hiding a soft smile.

Don nodded and half smiled. "Thanks." He said giving Daniel his hand. "Come on. You don't want to miss your flight do you?" He asked.

Espa stood up holding her sister's hand as they watched the boys talking. Don looked at them and nodded to Lupe.

Daniel stepped forward and hugged down. "Huh…" Don smiled and hugged him close as he looked over at Espa who was smiling her knowing smile again. The big brother would always come out in him no matter what. Espa looked back at Charlie and Alan who were watching intently and smiling back at her.

"All right, buddy." Don said cupping Daniel's head to make him look up at him a moment as he smiled down with a big brother smile on his face. He tousled Daniel's hair a little and walked with him to the attendant. "You're the man."

Lupe walked by him and smiled up at him. "Bye Don." She blinked and pulled him a little.

"Lupe…" Espa hissed fearing she was annoying him,.

Don waved her off showing her it was okay. He bent down. "What Munchkin?"

"Can you be my big brother?" She asked softly. "I want a big brother and a policeman as a big brother would be so cool." She then giggled. "And I like you."

He chuckled and playfully tousled her thick hair. "You got it kiddo." He said.

She giggled and joined Daniel and the lady. "Thanks very much." He said to the woman. "Take it easy you two."

Espa joined Don as they walked the kids go into the airport. "Bye." She said waving. She took a breath and walked beside him. "That is never easy." She said.

He smiled at her. "I can see why."

They came to where Alan and Charlie were waiting. Don laughed seeing their looks at him. "What?"

"My hope for grandchildren has been rekindled." Alan said shooting a look to his son and then pointedly looking at Espa though Don did not catch it. Espa blushed a little.

"Oh, don't start Dad." Don said wincing looking to Espa who just shrugged.

"I'm not making a formal request, I'm just saying it would be nice."

"Come on…" Don said embarrassed. He looked at Espa who clearly was as well.

"But Dad, you do realize how long the odds actually are for this man?" Charlie said.

"Charlie, what's your problem, huh?" Don asked.

"Well given your dating pattern, or absence of any dating pattern…" Charlie said smiling.

"Look, I wouldn't talk if I were you buddy." Don said bristling a little looking at his grinning father.

"I'm just crunching numbers, kid."

"Oh, yeah." Don asked arching his eyebrow. "Besides who to say I am not dating…"

"Statistically, I'm on course to be way ahead of you." Charlie continued.

"Yeah, yeah…" Don said as they started walking. Espa was beside Don being her normal quiet watchful self. He wondered if that was where her nickname had come from.

"That makes sense, you're older."

"All right, enough." Don said. "Hey, keep it up. It's a long walk home." Don said taking out his keys. He turned and wrapped his arm about Espa's hips. "Besides…you are not way ahead of me. I have a date." He grinned at Espa and kissed her cheek before walking by the other two twirling his keys. His arm had Espa walk with him. Her arm wrapped about him.

Espa looked back and shrugged with a smile at the other two who suddenly looked a little helpless.


	3. in plain site

**In Plain Sight**

167 5.4

Metric Tons Billion Dollars

1.3 2

Million Meth UsersGirls

Don Eppes was getting out of his car at Esperanza Urriolabetia's townhouse. They were supposed to be having lunch after having three times where either one of the other of them had to cancel. Neither planned to cancel this day.

Don had become comfortable with Espa as his girlfriend. They expected nothing from the relationship except friendship and occasionally her cooking.

He knocked on the door and heard a dog barking. He heard the dog run from a back room and come to the door. It sounded like Espa had a Doberman on the other side of the door. Not that that surprised him. A woman should have a large dog to protect them, though he had learned by now after a month of dating her that she was a black belt in two martial arts disciplines and could pin him.

Still as any boyfriend would be he was protective of her. He was not about to let any guy try and rough her up again. He also needed her to stay well for Lupe whom she had practically raised. He liked Lupe in a big brother like way. She had called and talked to him once and told him her badge was sewed into her denim jacket. She had asked him to be her big brother and so he was at a distance like her sister was being a sister. He just hoped he was not around her much at fifteen. Otherwise no male would get within five feet of her. The thought made him smile. He knew his father also was in contact because he sent her presents and he had gotten a grandpa card at father's day.

They had spent a night talking about family. He had been surprised to learn a sister named Katherine had died of alcohol poisoning after being raped. Her mother had been in such a depression she had died in a car crash she caused. Espa's family had issues much like his own.

He had tried on day in fun to try and pin her down and she and managed to pin him down. She had sat on his chest and grinned at him before he had pulled her down to kiss her. Actually it was quite the turn on to have such a petite woman who could muscle him around if she needed to. Made him worry about a lot her less. Of course he had seen her hold off three men before he had known it was her until they had cold cocked her with a pistol to her temple.

Dating Espa was nothing if not an adventure. He sighed wondering how the dog would take to having him dating its mistress. Because of his line of work relationships were not easy, but Espa was equally as career driven and understood him perfectly. They were a lot alike and he truly loved the way she handled herself when he had to leave. She understood. He also understood her going on trips as well for her work.

She also had a Top Secret Clearance from her consulting from the FBI that allowed him to talk to her about cases. He found it was nice to distress with a beer and her listening ear. Maybe there was something to having a woman waiting for you every night.

Espa opened the door and in her arms was the cause of the amazing loud and deep bark. It was a tiny miniature dachshund who was black and tan. She was all of maybe six pounds, but was trying to act sixty. She wore a small color of purple with tags hanging from it. Don actually laughed at the concept of the tiny thing trying to intimidate him.

"Hello." He said a smile on his face as he looked at Espa.

"Hi. Just a sec. I need to put Gretchen in her kennel." She said.

Don leaned in and kissed her and heard the tiny dog between them growl at him. Again he chuckled. "You think you are big and tough huh?" He asked. "Huh Gretchen?"

The beast's neck fur was sticking up on end as she watched the strange man. She growled again. "Gretch that isn't nice." Espa chided as she turned. "She is harmless. You are just new. She will calm down if you come and sit in here. Make yourself at home."

He came in and looked about the front room. He sat down as Espa put Gretchen away in the bathroom in a carrier. He looked about at Espa's house. Beautiful pictures and piles of paperwork laying around, but it was over all neat and tidy.

Espa walked in bent over her hair forward nearly to the floor as she brushed what was naturally the under side. He watched fascinated having never seen that before. He coughed. "You never told me you had a dog."

"Gretchen would argue. She thinks she is a short kid with fur." She said from under the blanket of hair.

He chuckled. "I see."

She straitened flipping her hair back behind her and then using a tie she had on her hand she held her brush in her teeth and pulled her hair through the tie to make an ease ponytail. She reached back and split the hair and fed her ponytail back into it making an amazing and yet so simple hairstyle.

He watched and then stood up. "Ready."

"Yep." She said grabbing her purse and her keys and walking to the door. He moved and caught her hips. She turned. "Yes?"

His mouth pressed to hers in answer. He then looked at her and grinned. "I missed you." He said with a smile. "I wanted to kiss you in your house since I have only kissed you in my car in your lot and at your door."

She chuckled and they went out to his car.

They had a lovely lunch at a corner bistro.

Don ordered chocolate for dessert and Espa ordered lavender ice cream.

When it came she picked up her spoon and started to eat it as he had seen before with the ice cream bar. He smiled taking a bit of his chocolate and then he looked at her quizzically. "Are you trying to seduce me?" He asked.

She looked at him startled. "What?"

"Do you know how you are eating that? It drives any man with a pulse wild." He said eyeing her. "Must be good."

She chuckled and got another spoonful and leaned over to feed him. He took the bit watching her as he sucked it off making her feel what had felt twice now. Wanting…

She smiled at him. "It is cold. I have very sensitive front teeth. I have to eat it like that."

"Really?" He asked. "Hum…I never have had lavender in food before."

"I will have to make you lavender cookies."

"Yeah…I have had gay friend's get hard from watching me eat ice cream. I can't eat it normal. I am sorry." She grinned showing she only about half was.

"Vixen." He said offering her some of his chocolate. It was not nearly as fun to watch her eat that since it was room temperature and she ate it like a normal human being eating dessert.

She giggled.

Don looked at her and arched an eyebrow. She sounded exactly like her bubbly little sister just then. "Tell me Espa. What was the language you were speaking with you sister? It was beautiful in the way I had no idea what it was."

"Basque is a language isolate." She smiled. "But we were speaking it. I grew up with it in the home."

"I figured as much." He smiled as he reached over and touched her silver Basque cross that had started to show signs, especially in this light, of tarnish from her wearing it.

"I learned it quickly as a child. I taught Lupe as she was growing. Originally my father and mother wanted us to be American so they spoke English in the home and only spoke Basque when they did not wish me to understand. They forgot to take into account what a quick study I was. They when I asked they put me in Basque school in Boise." She smiled. "Lupe was a quick study."

"I am sure. She is a bright little thing and misses nothing that one."

"That is true." She said smiling.

Don got a call on his cell.

"Eppes…really…great…I will be there in a bit." He looked at Espa.

She smiled at him good naturedly. "Ahh…duty calls." She said finishing the last of her lavender ice cream.

He stood up. "I will square the check. He bent down and kissed her tasting some of the lavender on her lips. "See ya later. I will try to call you for dinner tomorrow huh?"

"Great." She smiled.

"Thank God for sympathetic girlfriends." He said smiling back.

"Thank God for the FBI making LA a better place to live." She countered.

He smiled at her and bent and kissed her cheek.

Don had teamed up with DEA and his FBI SWAT to try and take down a lab location. He watched from a van chewing gum as his men set up. He sighed. He was going to need a drink after this bust. Maybe he would do dinner with Espa tonight.

Don watched his men set up from a van. "All right, position one?"

"Set." David said.

"Position two?"

"Position two is set, Don" Colby said.

"All right, we go on my signal, everybody. Repeat, on my signal." He paused. "Roger. Taking up position as we speak."

Don waited as two men moved on the roof. "Okay, one, we're ready."

"DEA?" Don asked.

"DEA, set." Came the confirmation as Don drew out on of his glocks from his flack jacket.

"All right, let's hit it, let's hit it. Execute, execute, execute." Don said making ready to get out.

A car drove up. Don caught it and barked into the radio. "Hold, hold, hold, hold! We got a civilian, civilian, civilian."

"Hold, hold." Colby said.

Everyone backed down.

"Holding, Don." Colby said.

Colby, grab her." Don barked.

"Okay, got it." Colby said putting up his gun. "Ma'am? Ma'am? Excuse me ma'am." Colby tried, but the woman did not hear him.

"Hello?" She said heading in.

"Colby, back off. Just wait till she's out." Don said.

Colby nodded and ran back.

"Don he's making a phone call." Megan said from the FBI building where she and Charlie were watching.

"Colby did he see you?" Don asked.

"I don't know Don." Colby answered.

"Megan, trace that call. What's he saying?" Don demanded.

"He's warning somebody." Megan said.

"Damn! I didn't want a hostage situation here." Don hissed as he started to remove his flack jacket. "Colby, as soon as I have her, you come in full force. Megan, you get backup and hightail it whatever address you get on that trace. Do you hear me?"

"On it." She said.

"All right, David, you're with me. Follow my lead. Let's go." Don said as he jumped out of the van in street clothing. Don went across the street. He nodded to David to join him. David went in first after removing his earpiece.

"I know it's in here somewhere." The woman said digging in her purse.

"Hey sweetheart." Don said coming in with a smile.

"Huh?" The woman asked looking at him.

David watched ready for action.

"Do they have it?" Don asked her.

"Hey FBI!" David barked. "Don't do it."

Don threw the woman to the ground as David took out his gun. The man behind the counter pulled out a shotgun. David shot him twice in the chest. He fell back letting off a round.

Don's crew came in. Don looked down at the surprised woman under him. "We're FBI. You're okay. Don't move. Tommy!"

A man cried out from the back. "Tiny!"

Don got up to look around.

"You all right?" Tommy asked kneeling by the woman.

"I…I'm fine." She stuttered.

"Call a medic." David barked as he knelt by the man he had shot.

"Got it." Another agent nodded.

"Tiny! Tiny!"

"Tiny's not able to hear you right now." Colby said.

"Is he dead? What, you kill him?"

"He's secure?" Don asked as he put up his gun as Colby did as well. There were several men in custody.

"Mum-hum." A SWAT member said.

"Any sign of the lab?" Don asked looking about.

"There's nothing. "Colby said.

"We got precursor chemicals." Don said looking about at the massive amounts of the legally obtainable nasty components to a meth lab. "There's enough to make two-hundred, three-hundred pounds of meth. How can the lab not be here?"

Colby turned back to the man who had been calling for Tiny. He pulled him to his feet. "Where is it?"

Don saw someone poking about. "Be careful." He barked.

"Sir?" The man looked up.

"Smell those fumes. One spark's enough to blow the roof off this place, and us with it. Just be careful."

The man paled and jumped back.

He looked about confused. If this was not the lab only the chemical supplier…where the hell was the lab?

In an hour he had his answer.

He went to the scene of the massive explosion that had ripped through a house in a residential neighborhood.

Charlie stood outside as Don, David, and Colby went in to look about after it was declared safe. Colby returned out with several rifles. Charlie was somewhat rattled having have been just across the street when the bomb had gone off narrowly missing Megan and killing the man who had opened the door.

Megan was clearly rattled by the affair, but she kept her chin up even as Don questioned her. They entered the house together after donning meth monitors to tell them if meth concentrations were too high for someone to be there. Though Megan had seen a guy no human remains were found in the massive super lab. David had found the exhaust pipe that kept the neighbors from noticing. It also had a tunnel out into the yard. Which was no doubt how he had gotten out.

Then they could not wander anymore because the alarms had tripped. Don had herded everyone out.

Back at the office they interrogated the men they had taken from the business and talked about how to find and bring down the leader since they had all the underlings. After Don had a heart to heart with Megan who stonewalled him a little so she could keep working the case. He knew this was personal now and he hoped it would not cost her in anything other than sleep.

Espa had lectured and then gone to see Charlie for some tea. After he went with her to his office where Dr. Larry Fleinhardt already was lurking.

He looked at Espa as she and Charlie came in sharing a joke. "And who is this lovely creature Charles?"

"This is Espa. Dr. Esperanza Urriolabetia from the history department." Charlie said.

"Good to meet you." Larry said taking her hand.

"Lawrence Fleinhardt physics." Charlie said

"The pleasure is all mine." Espa said smiling.

"Please call me Larry."

"All my friends call me Espa." She smiled and then looked at Charlie's office. It was the most math geek room she had ever seen with so many things to look at and touch as well as different math games and formulas on the chalk boards.

Larry then turned to Charlie as he put up a picture of a house on his screen. "Did they send her home?" He asked softly.

Espa dropped into a seat and watched the friends talk.

"I told you, Larry. Megan's okay."

"Yeah, but this agent was killed, right?" Larry asked.

"Yes." Charlie said.

"Well, I mean, she's gonna feel responsible." Larry said as he paced before Charlie.

"I was there. It was clearly not her fault." Charlie said.

"You were at the explosion?" Espa asked sitting forward. Don had called her about an hour ago and left a message that all was well with him and his crew, but they had lost an agent in a super lab explosion.

"Yeah." Charlie said as he looked back at his computer attached to the screened picture.

"But this degree of traumatic experience would disturb even the most stable of Homo sapiens." Larry said. "This is not even to take into account the double x chromosome situation."

"Situation?" Charlie and Espa said at the same time. Espa had sat forward to listen to this.

"Yeah." Larry continued. "You know, women have two X chromosomes. Men have an X and a so-called Y. But I think if you examine it closely you'll find, as I have, that the Y is really just an X with a piece missing."

"That is interesting. I was told it was women who had a piece missing." Espa said with a smile at him. Larry looked at her a bit flustered as she grinned at him. "Something about God giving men two brains, but only enough blood to run one at a time…"

"What are you implying Larry?" Charlie asked after smirking at Espa's teasing.

"Well, since I'm missinf that very piece, I may not be qualified to answer, but I think it has something to do with, you know, they're just more sensitive."

"Or that they can bear children?" Charlie asked

"Yeah, well, that, too, I guess." Larry said.

"Ahh…so all of a female's hormones and emotions are in that little half an X. Interesting theory." Espa said. "Though you are right. Women do take things harder than men and we do not let things go like men." She looked at Charlie. "Yes we can bear children." She smiled and stood up. "I am qualified to answer that one since I do have that missing piece." She said patting him on the shoulder.

Larry smiled. "Indeed." He smiled. "Do you think it's inappropriate if I were to send her flowers?"

"How inappropriate? Women love flowers." Espa said. "I love lilies." She grinned at him. "While your at it you can…" Larry held up his hands as she grinned at him.

"This is so odd." Charlie said looking at his computer.

"What?" Larry asked.

Espa turned as well cocking her head.

"This process is introducing more artifacts." Charlie said.

"Hey Charlie." Larry said. "Steganography."

"Stega-who-graphy?" Came a voice. Everyone turned to see Alan walking in holding a briefcase with a couple of rolled up maps and file folders.

"Steganography." Larry said/

"Hey, Dad, what's going on?" Charlie asked as he hugged his father.

"How are you Charlie?" Alan asked. "Oh, I was in the area. I was just having a meeting with Rolf Peterson, the engineer for my downtown mall project. You wanna…want to take a look?"

"Oh, yeah, always." Larry said a little distracted.

He smiled. "Espa…how are you?"

"Good Alan. Yourself?"

"Fine."

Larry moved and started to play with the computer a little before turning to join the others as they gathered around the desk. Alan laid out a blueprint and they all looked. "There you go." He looked at his son. "What is this steganography?"

"It's the classic, you know, uh, picture hidden in a picture thing." Charlie said. "Only this is digital steganography, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Larry nodded.

"Where on image is embedded in the coding of another image." Charlie said continuing as Espa looked at the picture.

"Yeah, it's very hot right now." Larry nodded.

"The Defense Department is encrypting satellite imagery." Charlie said

"Oh? How…how do they do that?" Alan asked.

"Now, I'll show you." Larry said. "Simply take a CD, and I look for the nearest sharp object. That'll do." He said lifting up Charlie's sun dial. He began to scratch the CD with the sundial.

Espa cocked her head.

"Why are you ruining the CD?" Alan asked.

"No. If I scratch a record it would ruin it, but this CD with still play." Larry said. "I've created gaps in its readable data, but…"

"The software fills in the gaps." Charlie finished for him. "Making educated guesses as to what it should be, resulting in complete images from partial data."

"Precisely." Larry said as Espa listened to them. "And since we suspect there is an image hidden in this picture…"

"We try to tell the computer to look at it in another way." Charlie said.

Espa sat on a table watching the men work. Charlie went back to the computer. He typed.

"I'm gonna try adjusting the pixels by one more negative power." Charlie said

"Okay, and you can see the edges are deteriorating." Larry said.

"Yeah." Alan said and Espa nodded. "So who's the criminal?"

"It's some methamphetamine dealer." Charlie said. "Here, let's see what this does."

Espa looked up as another image began to come up. Espa's breath caught as she saw a very lovely preteen young girl sitting on a bed looking at the camera. She was naked and holding a stuffed lion near her. Espa felt her blood began to pump harder in anger, but she tried to calm herself, but looking away.

"Oh, God." Larry said echoing what the other men felt seeing the picture before them. Espa said nothing, but her head was pounding as she saw a girl who had been used for the child porn trade.

Charlie was shaking as he called his brother to join them. Espa paced. Alan and Larry watched her unsure why this was effecting her. Sure it made their blood run cold, but Espa was upset, but she did not speak a word of it.

Don arrived and came in. He looked at the photo for a couple of seconds before she shook his head. "Turn it off." He hissed.

Espa had tired enough to drop to sit on a free piece of a desk, but it was clear by her haunted look that this had disturbed her to her very soul. Don had noticed her odd behavior when he had come in. She had barely looked up when he had come in. She was now not looking at anything or anyone.

He looked about as Charlie turned off the image. Espa had her head in her heads looking down as she rubbed her temples.

"I'll take the girl's image out of the picture and we can study it for details." Charlie said.

"Right, the lab can deal with that." Don said taking a breath. "Can you tell me if this was sent over the Internet?"

Larry shrugged. "Partial data, there's no way to know."

"The pornographic image was encrypted in a photograph of the house that exploded." Charlie said.

"Well, so the photographs could've been taken by the same camera?" Don asked.

Espa looked up. Her eyes were wet, but she had not cried. Her eyes were full of barely contained rage.

"Maybe." Charlie said.

"Not necessarily." Larry said.

"Which is it?" Don asked blinking at him.

Charlie sighed. "We really can't be sure."

Espa sighed and shook her head. Don looked at her a moment and then back.

Don looked at him and then sighed. "All right, well, look we know the guy was into child porn, but the photograph could've been taken in. like, even five years ago.

"You know what. I'll make you a copy."

"Well, that's all tight, just give it to me. Our guys will know what to do." Don said holding out his hand as Charlie held his jump drive.

"Except they didn't find this picture, did they?" Charlie said looking up at him suddenly a little defiant.

"Well, you can explain it to 'em." Don said.

Alan watched his sons as Espa was.

"Well, you know what, I'll keep working on it." Charlie said.

"Come on. It could be one of hundreds of photographs on the computer." Don said trying to be tolerant, but Espa and Alan could tell his patience was wearing thin.

"Or this child could need our help right now." Charlie said.

"Charlie, why don't you let his people pursue it." Alan said trying to soothe this over before it became a problem.

"Dad, please." Charlie said annoyed at his father for intervening.

"Yeah, why don't you let our people pursue it, all right?" Don said. "We have an entire unit dedicated to crimes against children."

"Because…"

"So, I mean, wait, hold on. Charlie, look, you gotta understand the reality of crimes like…" Don started.

"Excuse me, I understand the reality!" Charlie said his voice raising.

Larry stood up. "I'm not…" He stuttered. "I'm gonna go back to, uh…"

"Your office." Alan said for him.

"Yeah." Larry said and made a quick exit.

Espa stood up and was glaring at them both as they argued with each other. She could not believe they were arguing over a jump drive when a child's life was at stake and a man had died in a rigged house.

"What the hell are you doing?" Don asked his own voice rising to match his brother as Espa and Alan watched. "I need more than the photograph. I gotta stop a guy from disappearing into Mexico! An agent was killed."

"He set off the explosion?" Charlie asked

"Yes." Don growled.

Charlie looked at his dad.

Epsa could not take it anymore. She moved quickly for the door as Charlie lifted the jump drive to his brother.

Don snatched it. "Thank you." He hissed. He walked to Espa. "Hey sweetheart. What is wrong?" He said his voice calmer.

She looked up at him a moment before shaking her head.

"Charlie, walk me to my car." Alan said.

"I need to work." Charlie said.

"You need to clear your head. Walk with me to my car." Alan repeated.

Charlie nodded and followed Alan out.

Don looked at Espa as she stood in the door. "Espa. I know something is wrong. Tell me. This isn't like you."

"You were arguing over a jump drive when there is an innocent life at stake and clues to find a killer." She said looking up at him. Her voice was calm, but he heard the undercurrent of anger and read it plainly in her eyes. He had never seen so much rage in a woman and it alarmed him a little.

"We are brothers Espa. Sometimes we fight over little things." He sighed. "He gets his mind on things and…"

She laughed without humor. "Oh and you don't?" She said turning to go.

"Espa wait…please…talk to me." He said at least she had snapped at him. Maybe he could get more out of her. Her quiet anger and stewing worried him far more than her anger at him. He could take her yelling at the top of her lungs at him. She clearly was not so much anger at him as the whole affair. But her calm with a dangerous undercurrent was not good for her and not good for him to understand her pain.

She looked at him a moment and shook head. "You have no idea what is at stake here." She said her voice deadly. She turned away from him and punched her fist through the glass on Charlie's office door.

Don gasped in surprise at her show of rage. Then he watched her draw back her fist looking at it in surprise and almost horror. A small cut was starting to bleed near her thumb where a piece had embedded.

"Whoa, honey…" He drew out his clean handkerchief. "Espa…come on. Let's get you to the doctor. We can argue later huh." He said. "You need to get this taken care of now."

She looked at him. "All right." Her voice soft, her anger spent. For now…

After a quick trip to the ER to have her hand bound against further bleeding from the clean cut Don walked out with her to his car. She looked at the bandage. This had not required stitches.

Don saw her. "You know you can be a bit scary sometimes. You are not one of these quick to anger types who blow up and then over. You simmer until the boiling point, even after and then explode."

"Yeah." She said as he helped her into his car. He smiled and kissed her cheek.

He jumped in. "I'll run you back to the school before I go to the Crimes Against Children Office to see what they can do."

"I want to come with you."

"Espa…"

"I am done for today. Besides I know them there."

He sighed really not wanting her to be upset again. "All right." He nodded. He still wondered what about this girl had made Espa so heated. It truly upset him as well, but he had never seen Espa get so angry before. She was the leveled headed one in their relationship.

They wanted into the building and then up to the CAC office on the third floor. Don knocked and walked into the lead agent's office. Espa walked in a little slower. She had been here a lot in recent years, but she would let Don talk first.

"Hey Romero." Don said. "I got a file of a girl I think is being exploited." He said.

"Really. What does she have to do with your case?" Romero asked curious looking up.

"Well she…" Don began, but Espa interrupted him.

"Her picture was on the suspect's hard drive that blew up the house killing an agent. He is linked to meth production and sale, murder, and now this." Espa said walking in. Her normal calm voice and face had returned. "We are not sure if it came from the Internet or it is his personal collection, but he is into child porn regardless."

Don looked at her and blinked. She sounded just like an FBI agent or someone familiar with the lingo anyway.

"Hello Esperanza. I had no idea you would be helping Eppes on this." Romero said.

Don looked between them somewhat at a loss. How in the world did these two know each other?

"Not officially." She said. "Not yet anyway."

Romero saw Don's look of confusion. "Oh…sorry. I know her very well Eppes. She is our best advocate for the kids we find. She talks to them and gets them to open up about things that we never can. She even brings them home for short stays to help them come back from the hell they were living in."

"Really…" Don said giving her a look of admiration as well as a 'why the hell didn't you tell me' look.

"What can you tell me about the files?" Romero asked as he down loaded the image to his computer database.

"We know it was encrypted, we just can't tell if it was sent over the Internet." Don said.

"Yeah, well, this'll cross reference her face against our database of over a million images of exploited kids." Romero said as Espa walked over to them and leaned against the desk.

"Did you say a million?" Don asked surprised, horrified, and disgusted all at once.

Espa nodded. "Yeah, and growing."

"See, this program matched facial characteristics similar to that of a DNA test." Romero said.

"Right." Don said.

The computer came up without a match.

"Damn, it's too bad. She's not a known victim." Romero said.

"So, then, what do you do now? I mean, what…what happens?" Don asked as he watched Espa touch the girl's face. He knew she saw the terror there as he did.

"Well, the photo gets analyzed. We've had some luck matching beds in the background, finding repeat locations that way."

"Yeah. Worked with Hannah." Espa said.

"How is she now?" Romero asked her.

"Adjusting. She's in high school now. Private. She still has nightmares and calls the hotline." Espa said straitening and folding her arms on her chest

"How long, you think?" Don asked.

"It's gonna be a few days, man." Romero spread his hands. "We got backlogs. But I'll try to run it through as quick as I can. With Esperanza with you they may pull strings a little to help her."

Don looked at his girlfriend surprised by her pull around here. "Yeah, I'd appreciate it. Do what you can, all right."

"No problems." Romero said.

She just shook her head. "If they find something let us know Juan. I want to be there to help her."

"Sure."

She and Don went upstairs riding the elevator. "So you are an advocate for the CAC. You didn't tell me that."

"Never came up." She said. "It helps them and it helps me." She said.

He looked at her as the door opened on the elevator at that cryptic response. They walked down the hall and to where Don's desk was. Megan was on the phone and Charlie was there as well.

"Yes, I'm here." Megan said. She sounded tired and frustrated.

"Anything?" Don asked.

"Yes, I have enlargement from the photograph that…" Charlie started. Espa walked over to look. She sighed as she watched Don move about.

"The chemicals from the bust were manufactured in Sonora, Mexico." Megan said talking to Don. "I'm checking to see if he's leasing anything there, and I gave his description to the Border Patrol."

Espa watched as Charlie looked down. He looked frustrated. She shook her head and laid a hand on his arm trying to calm him as he stewed.

"I know, average white guy. It could be anyone, right." Don said. "Charlie, there's nothing else you can do?"

"As I stated, I have enlargements from the photograph. I'm going to give them to the Crimes Against Children squad, okay." Charlie said his voice was loud.

Espa tried to hush him. "Charlie…they are…"

"I already handed those off." Don said. "Give me…Come here." Don said as he nodded to Espa to come with him as he walked to the break room leading his brother. "Give me these. What…what's going on? Come on. Look, we have a system for finding these kids. Just let the system do its job, all right."

"Your system incomplete." Charlie said as they came in the room. Espa walked in and sat down.

Don moved to get her and himself coffee. "Charlie, give me a break. It's the best in the world. What are you talking about?"

"Complex systems require redundancy, computers, the military, the human brain, but not the FBI?" Don looked at his brother as he spoke. "Why don't you want me to find this child?"

Espa was about to speak, but Don jumped on that as he went to get cream from the fridge. "What are you talking about? That is so unfair."

"He's right Charlie. All that can be done is being done. I know your pain, but…" Espa said, but Don cut her off.

"I wanna find the kid as much as you do, and I wanna find the perpetrator." He then looked at his brother hard. "Why don't you tell me what's buggin' you so much about this photograph?" He hissed his voice low, but Espa still heard it.

"This child has shown up in front of us for a reason. She may lead us to Lamberg. Even if she's doesn't, Don I need to take action to find this little girl."

Espa heard the frustration and the need in Charlie's voice. It was similar to what her own heard cried out for, but she knew enough about the trade and the world to know it did not work like that.

"That's what I'm doing. I'm taking action." Don said. He passed Espa her coffee and kissed her cheek. "Thanks for your help." He said to her and walked out the door.

"No, you're not." Charlie said.

"Yes, I am." Don said.

"You were right about that delivery service." Colby said as they call came out.

Espa was sipping the warm liquid. Thank God Don had added Splenda and cream. This stuff was horrible, but she figured it was as good as any to get a caffeine rush to keep going.

"We grabbed twenty pounds of meth and got a hit on a wire transfer for Lamberg." Colby continued.

"Great, let's get on that." Don said.

Espa sat down at his desk to drink her coffee until he came back. Charlie went down stairs to the Crimes Against Children office.

Espa and Don eventually went to dinner. She was unusually quiet and he noticed. He took her home with a promise that he would come back so they could take after he found his brother and talked to him.

"Don something in his past is driving him." She said as she stood at her door.

"Like it is you?" He countered. He saw her eyes flick and he bent and kissed her. "I will be back in an hour tops."

She nodded. "I will wait."

Don ran home and found his father. It was one AM. Charlie wasn't there. After a talk with his father about what was going on with Charlie, Don went to the Cal-Sci computer lab where he suspected his brother was. There were many people there.

After a few moments Larry and Charlie had found and accessed his phantom hard drive and found he was part of a gun club. It was a good tip and Don took it and called it in for his crew to start looking into it first thing in the morning.

Don went then as promised back to Espa's house. He used the key she had given him and came in. There was a lamp on.

He heard the sound of little feet. A soft growl alerted him to Gretchen near him. He could not see her well. A black dog in a black entryway did not really work. He smiled and dropped down as he shut the door.

Gretchen came over to him with a little coaxing. He smiled as she licked him. He reached and picked her up. She was very tiny. He could see her outline now that his eyes had adjusted to the low light.

He watched into the house as he felt Gretchen's tail whapping him excitedly as he held her and he held her gently, but firmly as she tried to wiggle and lick his face. He saw Espa in her chair under the lamp reading.

"You know we need to work on Gretchen's watch dog skills." He said sitting down on the couch across from her. He set Gretchen down and she immediately walked to a pillow on the couch and snuggled down.

"You had keys." She shrugged.

He took a breath and pulled off his light jacket. "Are you ready to talk?" He asked.

"Are you?" She asked putting down her book. She sat forward as he reached across to take her hands. He brushed her hair back gently as she saw her face go through several emotions.

"Hey…sweetheart. You can talk to me. I really do care you know. I want to help." He said gently. "Why did this affect you so much? I know Charlie's story, but he did not put his hand through a window."

She shook her head. "There is a reason I am a good advocate." She said softly. "I can related to the exploited kids…"

He took a breath ready to listen and mend her all her could. "Were you…" He swallowed and took a breath. "Raped as a child? Is that how you know?" His voice was softly and tender. "Espa the best way to deal with it is to talk and…"

"No." She said looking up into his eyes. She had tears in her eyes that were yet to be shed. "No…I was never raped."

The look of pain on her face was his undoing as he dropped off the couch onto his knees. He pulled her down with him as he looked at her. His hands went around her back. He caressed her trying to ease the pain of something he did not know, but was in her past.

She took a breath. "When I was four I was kidnapped from my backyard in Boise." She looked down. A tear feel and he swallowed listening letting her talk it out. "The man took pictures of me on a bed and always naked." She subconsciously drew her clothing to her a little tighter as she took a breath and shivered. Don took a breath and exhaled it slowly. "It was three years before they found me." She looked up at him. "I was lucky. They only took pictures." She looked at him tears flowing freely down her face. "Do you have any idea what these sick bastards do to some of them?" She asked her voice cracking.

"I know there are so horrible people in the world." He said. "You were never touched?"

"No…not in me. Outside…yes…made me feel dirty. And yes…anyone who would do that to a child should die a horrible death and then be forever tortured in hell." She said vehemently.

Don reached up and cupped her head. "That is why you advocate and are good. You know the pain. Espa, there's no shame in that…" He said as he used his thumbs to wipe her tears.

"Don for every one kid I can help there a hundred others who are not..."

"But you have saved kids Espa." He said. "Your heart is so good. You need to forgive yourself for not being able to get ever child back. Just like I always have to forgive myself when I let bad guys get away."

She sniffed a little looking at him. Her face wet with tears and her hair disheveled made him feel his heart break. He had never seen such a strong woman so undone.

"You're right." She said softly.

"Come one let's get you to bed." He said softly and he bent and picked her up.

He carried her to the bedroom and started to pull of her clothing gently. She stood still breathing slowly as he worked removing suit jacket, blouse, skirt, and pantyhose. When she was in her bra and underwear he reached for a satin nightgown folded at on her pillow to dress her with and put her to bed.

As much as he felt his body wanting her, this was not the time to seduce her unless she asked. This relationship was his first that was based on the friendship and the caring of two souls. He would not ruin it this night by taking advantage of her emotions to bed her. He could not do it…unless she asked him to. If she asked him, than he would care and be gentle and show her how much he cared with his body as well as his mind.

As he lifted it she shook her head lifting her arms to stop him. "No." She said.

He looked at her a moment. She then stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him her arms going about his neck. She caressed the hard flesh there. He kissed her mouth deeply. He tasted fresh tears and pulled back. "I will not do this…it will be like raping you." He said cupping her head. "I can not force you into this. Your emotions are on high right…"

She kissed him again. "Please stay…" She whispered. "I need you Don."

That did it. He kissed her gently and they both started to pull off his clothing urgently. Their breathing was hitched a bit. He kissed her neck and smiled as he did feeling her melt like jelly against him. He had had his share of women and they had taught him how to give pleasure as well as take it.

He reached behind her and undid the clasp, which held her bra. It fell forward revealing her full breasts with their pert dusky nipples. They were full and he smiled in appreciation. He caressed down the small of her back with light fingers as he kissed one and then drew the nipple into his lips.

She gasped in surprise and wonder at the feelings he was causing her to feel deep inside.

"You are so beautiful." He said as he knelt and pulled off her panties. They were cute and white with small embroidered flowers. He had expected dark for some reason. Not that dark panties did not turn him on, but it was strangely not like her. These almost little girl like ones were much more erotic than he would have thought.

She shivered as she stood naked before him. It was strangely not too intimidating being with this man. He was tender and gentle. And he was equally naked at the moment. He reached into his pocket for something and then stood up and kissed her lips again. "So beautiful." He said and he smiled at her blush.

He picked her up and carried her to the bed. He laid her one it. She was dark against the pale sheets and he pulled down the covers as he watched her. He sat and he put a condom on himself for both his and her protect.

He climbed onto the bed and gently pressed his hand to one side of her face. He used his knees to spread her legs. "How long has it been since you did this last?" He asked gently as he looked down at her from his braced position about her.

"I…um…"

"This may hurt a little since you have no had it in a while." He said softly. "I am sorry."  
He pressed forward quickly burying himself to the hilt for he knew it would not hurt as much if he did. He cupped her face between his hand and his cheek. She had gasped and then wept softly. He cooed to her and then caressed her with his free hand.

He swallowed at the realization. He had felt the barrier in her give way. She had been virgin. He was naturally very pleased being the one who had taken her viginity. It was an honor and a real ego trip. He smiled as he shifted a little and she gasped looking up at him. He kissed her gently. "Shhh…it will pass in a moment." He reassured her.

Soon she calmed and he started to move. She laid there her eyes closed breathing hard.

"Open your eyes Espa." He said as he braced above her and moved against her. He then shifted position and was then able as he sat back on his heels to caress her little nub that he knew she did not know was there.

She moaned and he watched her orgasm rip across her features as she stiffened against him. Soon he would please her, but he was content to see that for now. He had never seen an orgasm spread over a woman's face before. It was very erotic. He also grinned to himself knowing that was her first orgasm ever from a man. More ego busting.

He moved finding his own peak within her body. He needed it. The next time it would be gentle and sweet for her. He would show her what it was to be worshipped by a male, but all in due time…

He moaned after and felt his loins empty quite nicely as he collapsed on her and tried to keep his weight light. When he no longer could support himself he lay to her side and caressed her hair and cheek with his large hand.

She panted and opened her eyes to look at him. "That…that…was…" She smiled at him. "I have never felt so wonderful in my life. Is that weird?"

"No." He said gently curling against her as she settled down. "Come here…you need to rest a little." He watched her yawn and then snuggle down onto her pillow. Don moved and pressed his front to her back and draped an arm over her hips in quiet possession.

It was about five in the morning. She could see the dawn light through her window. She sat up and looked back at the sleeping form of Don in her bed. She smiled a little. She had given her virginity to a man who was gentle and caring as she had always wanted to.

She turned and looked out at the dawn and sighed. 

"You can't run away, you know." Don said his eyes still closed, but a smile on his lips.

"Oh?"

"Yeah." He opened his dark eyes. "This is your apartment." He said with a smile.

She chuckled. "Yeah, you are right."

He sat up and leaned his head against her breast. "You feeling better?" He asked.

"Yes." She nodded.

He shifted and heard a grumble from the bottom of the bed. He looked down. Between their legs was Gretchen stretched out to her full body length sound asleep. He blinked. "The dog is on the bed?" He smiled.

"Yeah, I have had her four years." She smiled. "I tried to have her sleep in a kennel and she howled all night so I let her sleep with me. Fixed it immediately."

"Ahh and who said humans can not be taught."

"Exactly. I am a very good pupil."

"What does she think she is human?" Don asked as Gretchen lifted her head to cast him a look before settling down again.

"I am sure. A child with fur."

He looked closer. "Her neck hair stands up naturally."

"Yeah, funny huh?"

"Obviously she doesn't mind me here." He said.

"Nope. She approves. One more reason to date you Agent Eppes." She said turning and kissing him. He smiled into the kiss and laid back his hands caressed her bare back idly drawing nonsense patterns on it.

She moved off the bed and drew on her nightdress and then took a couple of breaths. She then went through some movements that made him blink at her agility and her flexabilty.

He smiled a little. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"The Maha Namaskar." She answered.

"Huh?"

"The Great Salutation." She said. "Mountain, Hands up, Head to knees, Lunge, Upright lunge, Warrior One, Lunge, Plank, Stick, Upward Dog, Cobra, Downward Dog…" Don smiled as she called out the names of what she was doing as she repeated the moves. He got a nice view of her bottom with that one. "…Lunge, Triangle, Arms Out, Warrior Two, Open heart, Standing seal, Open heart, lunge, head to knee, hands up, Mountain." She said and took a breath.

"Looks like Yoga." He said.

"It is. It is very good for your heart when you get up in the morning."

"And you do this every morning?"

"Most…yeah…"

He pulled on his boxers and his pants as he watched her repeat it all again. He smiled and waited for her to come back to 'Mountain'. "Wanna show me?" He grinned. "Go easy…I am a beginner."

She took him through it as he mimicked, a little less gracefully, her movements and her breathing as she told him what to do. She was right. It woke him up. "Good…and back to Mountain…exhale…"

When they were done he smiled at her. "Thank you sweetheart. That was fun and…invigorating." He grinned and kissed her cheek. She turned her head and took his kiss fully and he smiled at her. "I need to get to work." He said. "Thanks for last night, huh?"

"No Don. Thank you…I needed you."

He smiled and kissed her as he pulled on his shirt and began to button the buttons. "So…I…" He looked over at Gretchen who had rolled over on her back and was moving her front paws together frantically. "What is she doing? Is she praying?"

"No…begging. She wants a belly scratch." She said. "We call it please-paws." She smiled. "She did it for my dad as a puppy and he gave her so much love that she decided that it was a good way to get attention."

Don moved and scratched the belly. "I can see why…that is really cute."

"Does it work for me too?" She asked as she stood in a camisole and her panties looking at him as she moved her hands like her dog.

He laughed as he tucked in his shirt. "Sure…" He said and his fingers tickled the trim flesh of her belly. She yelped and laughed. "Ahh…my girl is ticklish." He grinned at her.

"Am not…"

"Are too." He said doing it again and again she jumped to the side. He grinned at her. "Very ticklish." He laughed as he pressed his hand flat there and felt the goose flesh he had caused there.

"Not fair…" She half pouted.

He laughed at that too and kissed her his hands going into the locks of hers that he adored to play with even as unruly as they were now. "I have to go…I will catch up…" He smiled as the dog looked at him. "Goodbye to you too Miss Gretchen." He said and walked to the door.

Espa came to the FBI building about nine. She smiled as she donned her badge and walked in to go find Don if he was there.

"I don't understand. You're saying Lamberg was here?" Don was talking on the phone sipping coffee as she nodded to him. He nodded and offered a hello smile as she sat down. "Charlie, it doesn't make any sense."

Megan came over as Espa leaned forward with question in her eyes.

"All right, I'll check it out. I'll get back to you." Don said. He hung up the phone and looked at the two women. "You're not gonna believe this. Charlie says Lamberg was here."

"What do you mean, here?" Megan asked

"Here…in the office?" Espa asked

"In the building. It's crazy." Don said.

"Why would he be in the building?" Megan asked.

"In the Crimes Against Children office." Don said. "So why don't you check their records for any white males who may have made a statement or a complaint. I mean, maybe they left a contact number. I'm gonna check the surveillance tapes in and out of the building."

"Okay…" Megan said moving.

"Bastard…" Espa spat. She looked at Don. "He was trying to use you…"

"I know…" He sighed.

She stood up and touched his cheek. "Get this man, Don…put a damn needle in his arm, save the girl, and take the meth off the streets."

"Working on it honey." He said heading for the video room.

"I will come with you." She said.

"Sure…" He looked at her. "If we get the girl…I want you to get her to talk to us, okay. I mean a hell of a life. In a house of a meth cooker and used like that."

"Of course Don…"

Megan returned from going with Colby to try and track the man down at a hotel. They took pictures. They found out a woman and her daughter had been staying there. The mother had stolen the hotel managers truck. There had been no sign Lamberg there, but he had been. Now he was stalking his ex-wife and his child to get her back.

Don. Megan, and Espa were looking at pictures from the hotel room. Espa was in a chair, Megan on a table, and Don stood there before the large plasma screen. Espa had a file on her knees that she had been reading.

"I don't understand." Charlie said coming in. "What was he doing in this office?"

Don took a sip of his coffee and just shook his head.

"He was using the FBI to help him find his daughter." Megan said.

"She's his daughter?" Charlie asked.

Don was biting his lip as Megan spoke. "Unfortunately it's not that uncommon for an abusive parent to accuse the innocent parent and then use the authorities to help tack down the child."

Charlie shook his head and touched his brow.

"Her name's Libby all right. He was here filing a…a complaint…" Don said going to a file Espa had set down. "…against his ex-wife, a woman named Michelle Collins."

"Well, I found fragments from dozens of e-mails he sent to her." Charlie said reaching into his bag. " To Libby." Megan got up to look at them. Charlie gave them to her as she stood and started to read.

"Let me see." Don said as he walked to Megan's side as Espa did looking over their shoulders.

Charlie walked to the screen. "Hey, where…where's this?" He asked pointing at the stuffed lion. "This stuffed animal is from the other picture. Where' you find this?"

"The motel." Megan said without looking up at him.

"I mean, she was on the run with her daughter, presumably to get away from Lamberg." Don said.

"I tried to tell you she needed out help, man." Charlie said.

"Yeah, Charlie, look…" Don started.

"Now, didn't I try to tell you that?"

"Yeah, and I told you there is more at stake than just her, okay." Don said stepping away from the ladies as the looked up from the file and then back. Espa pointed and spoke in a whisper to Megan. "I got a dead agent and a guy who's putting millions of dollars worth of the worst drug to hit this country in years out on the street!" Don was yelling at his younger brother now to try and make him see. "I wanna find her as much as you do, but I'm tired of this!"

"Okay, guys, looking at these e-mails he is totally obsessed with her." Megan said. "He's not gonna leave without her."

"He wants to take her to Mexico with him to abuse her further." Espa said as she walked back to the table and leaned against it.

"Well, then we've gotta find her before he does." Charlie said. "What can I do?"

"How about I let you know?" Don snapped.

"I have to do something." Charlie protested.

Espa sighed and came over to him. "Charlie…I know what you are feeling. You need to be patient." She tired to direct him to a chair.

"What would you know of it?" He asked.

"Believe me Charlie she knows far more than you think." Don said overhearing.

Espa shot him a 'you aren't helping' look that quickly silenced him.

"Hey, check this out." David said coming into the war room. He turned on the TV and it showed a pickup being chased by the LAPD. "It's the stolen truck."

"Ah! We need to call LAPD." Megan said. "We need them to tell them to look for Lamberg's blue BMW."

"All right. You get there. I'll call LAPD." Don said turning to the phone. "Hey Charlie." He said seeing Charlie turning to the door.

"What?" Charlie demanded.

"Stay here." Don said as he talked on the phone to a dispatcher.

Espa pulled out her cell phone to try and call Romero. It bounced off voice mail. She hissed and looked at the brothers. Charlie looked exasperated, but he did as his older brother said.

Don and Espa were looking at a map of roadblocks put up. Megan had brought the mother and Libby in to talk to them. Espa was going to leave in a few moments to talk to the girl after the prosecutor, Nadine, had talked to her.

"He's gonna get rid of that car." Megan said. "He can buy one, he can steal one."

"Guy like this wants to move faster, you know." Don said. He turned. Espa leaned against the wall looking at Megan and Charlie. "He wants to be more invisible. I mean we've got agents at every airport."

"Yeah, LAX has all that heavy security." Megan said. "Maybe Ontario."

"Something else…" Espa said. She took a breath and picked up a pencil. She used it to twist her hair and then suck it up clearing her neck. She rubbed it. Don looked at her. It was not the clean bun he was used to. It had pieces of hair sticking out in every which way, but it would serve its function for now.

"Union Station." Charlie said. All three of the other three looked at him. "In one of his e-mails, he talked to Libby about train rides." He said

"I'll go." Megan said moving to the door.

"No, no, no, come on, Megan." Don said trying to stop her. "Look, you haven't had a break. You haven't had any sleep at all."

"Nobody's had any sleep." Megan said. "I'll take Colby." She said.

Don sighed and shook his head seeing the determination in her gaze. "All right." He said.

Espa watched her go and then she watched the brothers look at each other for a couple of moments. She looked down. There was no way to get out of there easily to allow them to talk as brothers alone.

Charlie rubbed his neck eyeing Don. "You know, I didn't mean to imply earlier that you weren't doing everything you could for this child."

"You should go home, too." Don said in response.

Espa watched him move and went toward the door so she could go check on Libby and her mother.

"We haven't caught him yet." Charlie said. "Besides you are letting her stay." He said as Don caught up to Espa and nodded. It was clear they were all going to the same place. They walked into the watch room. Nadine was there listening to Michelle Collins talking to David.

"He tried to offer me more drugs, you know, to shut me up." Michelle said.

Don nodded to Nadine. "Hey." Espa came in and sat down in the chair looking at the monitors. Charlie came in last. It was quite cramped in the room. Espa touched the monitor on the girl's face. She was clearly scared, but of what Espa could not tell right now.

"But I ran away, me and Lib." Michelle was saying before Nadine turned off the sound to turn to the Eppes brothers and Espa.

"The mother's not stable." Nadine said.

"Mmm-hum." Don said nodding. Though the women had no idea it was a little awkward to have two women had had slept with in the same room.

"She's only been off meth for three weeks." Nadine continued. "I don't think that we can leave the girl in her custody."

"That's why I am here Nadine…" She said. "I can take her until…"

"Okay, wait, h-hold on." Don said lifting his hands to prevent what he thought might turn into a catfight between the two women. "You know, I think she made a pretty heroic effort for that kid."

"I understand that, Don…" Nadine said

"Where else can she go?" Charlie asked

"Foster care." Nadine said.

"I would take her first." Espa said defensively.

"Oh, no." Don hissed reaching up to rub his temples.

"I don't know." Nadine said.

"As I said I would bring her with me first like I have done before Nadine." Espa said.

"She tried to save her kid." Charlie said. "That has to count for something." Charlie said pointing.

Don moved looking through the glass at her. "Didn't your office seize most of Lamberg's assets?" He asked turning back.

"Yeah, I filed the order myself." Nadine said.

"Why can't the US Attorney's office use those assets to help his kid, help both of them get on their feet?" Don asked.

"If we can prove he abused her…" Nadine said.

"He had pictures of her on his computer." Charlie said.

"I mean, come on, her bedroom was in a super lab." Don said. "I mean, they test her, we're gonna find traces of meth in her blood, in her hair."

"Okay, let me talk to her." Nadine said.

"Please…" Charlie said

"No…let me do it." Espa said standing up.

Don looked at her and took a breath. "We should let the best advocate try first Nadine." He said defending himself as he opened the door for Espa to walk out.

"Thank you." Charlie said after Espa.

Espa walked into the room and sat down near to Libby, but not so much to crowd her. She knew that only led to kids shutting down.

"I'm Espa, Libby." Espa said gently. "Can I talk with you?"

"Sure." Libby's eyes remained glued on the table.

"All right."

"Where's my mom?" Libby asked.

"She's just right next door." Espa said watching the girl carefully.

She knew Don and Charlie were watching. Nadine had gone to file paperwork knowing Espa was the best at getting this sort of information out with her compassion and her knowledge.

"So your dad never touched you?" Espa said softly.

"No." Libby said softly though she refused to look Espa in the face. That was hardly abnormal in this sort of situation and Espa knew it. She took a breath and leaned forward a little.

"He never hurt you?"

"No. Stop asking me." Libby said looking to the right. Her eyes flickered. Espa knew she was lying and she knew Don would see as well.

"We want to stop him from hurting you, Libby or anybody else." Espa cocked her head. "Are you afraid of him?" Espa said gently.

Libby looked up at her for a moment before she looked back down.

"Look, you don't have to say anything." Espa said softly. Her voice was that of a mother trying to calm an injured child. "Just…You can nod your head yes or no." She said. "Are you scared of him?" She said.

Libby nodded. She met Espa's eyes again sensing now that she was not a threat and that she was trying to help.

"Yeah. Okay." Espa said gently. "What about your mom? Are you scared of her?"

Libby shook her head. "No." She said looking up firmly this time.

Espa nodded and smiled gently reaching to touch her hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Can I see her now?" Libby asked meeting Espa's gentle steady gaze.

"Sure." Espa said. She looked back at Don and Charlie through the glass and nodded. She stood up and took Libby's hand and walked her to the other room. She knocked on the door.

David looked up as Espa let the little girl in. Libby ran to her mother and they hugged each other. Espa nodded to David and sighed.

Mother and daughter cooed to each other that everything was alright.

In the room where Don and Charlie sat watching, Don took a breath. Espa had gotten what they needed to convict the man of sex crimes as well as the other things.

"This can be overcome, right?" Charlie asked. "It's possible for this child to grow up and live a normal life?"

"Yeah. I think so. Espa turned out all right didn't she?" That got him a look from Charlie. "And we're doing everything we can to help her, all right." Don said softly as he got up to go talk to Espa.

After talking and thanking Espa. Don went about cleaning up loose ends around the office.

Espa found Charlie holding a picture of Lamberg. He was staring at it harshly.

"You know I am not sure you can kill someone with your mind that way." Espa said.

He looked up at her. He took a breath. "What did Don mean when he said you turned out all right?" He asked.

She took a breath.

"You are close to this case. Like me, but in a different way. I saw how you talked to the girl. You know what she is feeling don't you."

She took a breath and folded her arms. "Yeah. I do." She looked up at him. "There are things in my past that are…are not very good. One of which is…" She sat down at Don's desk and typed.

She pulled up the exploited kids website and then went to the ones that had been recovered. Charlie watched as she pulled up a photo of a young bronze skinned girl. Only her head and shoulders were visible, but Charlie knew exactly what it was. It was a picture of herself, much, much younger, and in the child porn trade.

"Oh my God Espa." He whispered. He looked down at the page again.

"They never found the man." She said pointedly catching and locking eyes with Charlie her voice hollow as she spoke. "Now do you see why I understand this?"

"Yes." Charlie stammered as he looked back at the man.

"Hey, we got him." Don said coming to them breaking their reverie.

"You sure?" Charlie asked

Espa looked at him her face full of hope.

"Yeah, they're bringing him in now." Don said. "You were right. He was at Union Station with a ticket to San Diego. I mean, he was gonna just walk across the border, right out in the open." He looked up seeing Colby and Megan walking in with a man in handcuffs. "Here he is now." Don stepped forward as Espa and Charlie turned. Both had outright hostility aimed at the man. "Hey, guys." Don greeted his fellow agents. "Good job."

"I want my lawyer, immediately." Lamberg said defiantly looking at Don.

"Take him to room one." Don shrugged.

Colby walked him toward the interrogation room. Charlie moved to follow.

"Hey, hey!" Don barked at him to get his attention.

Espa had moved in her normal silent, but quick steps and had an arm up to block him from doing something stupid.

"Come on, Charlie. I'll give you a ride home." Megan said.

Espa nodded at her.

The two left. Megan waved at Don, which he returned and then turned to Espa as she stood looking down the hall. "Hey…honey…you okay?"

"Yeah…one down…a few hundred to go." She said looking up at him

He sighed and nodded. He caressed the small of her back and then ducked and stole a kiss softly. "Come on, let's get dinner and then go to my place."

She nodded. "Okay." She said reaching for her purse. He smiled and held out his arm. She took it and they walked to the elevator smiling at each other.


	4. convergence

**Convergence**

7 2

Home InvasionsMurders

$3.62

Million-Stolen Antique Lamps

It was a hot day in the LA basin. Don Eppes, Larry Fleinhardt, and Charlie Eppes were out playing disk golf. They had just been to a lovely lunch with Esperanza Urriolabetia. She now was acting cheerleader as she sat in her dark blue sarong wrap skirt on a bench with a blue bikini top on. It fit her perfectly and her skin had already tanned to a deep golden brown. It was clear Basques tanned better than the average American white guy. Don had found this out on the beach. He had burned one day and she only darkened. Much more and she would look at home in Kenya.

She watched them leaning back as she crossed her thin legs, stretching them out under her skirt. Her Chacos, which she had adopted to wearing now that her large boot was off were barely visible. She stretched her arms wide grinning at them. Her prescription sunglasses were like Oakleys and just as expensive, but she needed it on these bright days.

They were to hole eleven a par three cup.

"What do you say, Larry? The Eagle, the Shark?" Charlie asked.

"Go Charlie!" Espa said sitting foreword.

All the men swallowed as they got a very pleasant very of her cleavage and the tops of her well formed breasts. Don smirked inwardly. They were all his too.

"Oh, I think, the Eagle. More stability." Larry said holding his Frisbee.

"Let's go, Bro. Show us how it's done." Don said smiling at him. Don was wearing a work shirt and jeans. He wore his FBI hat backwards looking like a total jock for the moment, complete with his sunglasses.

Charlie aimed and let his Frisbee go with a whoosh. They watched the blue disk land a few feet from the hole.

Espa clapped behind them. "Nice work Charlie."

"Nice." Don said.

"Ah, that close." Charlie said with a sigh.

"Nice. All right. Watch this." Don said putting his knuckles to his brother's.

Don aimed.

"All righty, go for it." Charlie said leaning against Larry.

Don fired with amazing speed as it arched up. "Oh, yeah." He then groaned a little as it started down a little early.

Espa had stood up to get a better view.

It hit the target and went in.

"Oh, nice!" Charlie said. "Nice throw, brother." He said giving Don double five.

"Sweet, right?" Don said with a grin. Espa smiled at him. He chuckled at her as she came to his arms. He wrapped an arm about her bare midriff. "How was that sweetheart?"

"Amazing." She said looking up at him with a grin.

He nodded. "Mmm-hum." He said and kissed her playfully.

Charlie picked up his things as Larry started to walk with them down the fairway. Espa walked firmly clasped to Don's side. He saw a couple of admiring glances and smirked a little. Oh yeah, he had arm candy. What they didn't know what that she could kick their ass in a heartbeat and that she was a college professor. Most of the kids looking were in beach shirts and were no doubt college kids out for the summer. He shot them a look of 'oh, yeah boys, this is a man's toy and I do take her home' over Espa's head.

"You know, Don, you and I are very alike." Don looked at him as he walked with Espa looking around him her hand on his chest as his hand rested on her hip at her skirt line.

"We're both focused on large, possibly unattainable goals. Me trying to explain all the workings of the universe…"

"Yeah, and what am I doing? Trying to take all that unworkable workings and put them in jail. Good luck to the both of us."

Espa grinned up at him. "And you are so good at it."

He playfully patted her bottom. "Not the only good thing I am good at, hum?"

She laughed and blushed as she swatted his shoulder playfully. He caught her hand and pulled her before him with a laugh and kissed her. It was quick and he smirked at the other two men who did not understand he and Espa's good natured ribbing of each other.

"Oh, that is just average…" She teased and jumped back as he reached for her.

"Come here, you little wretch." He growled in mock anger as she dodged behind the other two and stuck out her tongue at him.

He ran and she tried to fake him out, but he quickly caught her and tossed her over his shoulder lightly taking care not to hurt her as he held her skirt down with his hand on her thigh, but he tipped her back like a sack of potatoes.

"Don…" She yelped laughing.

"Hum?" He asked using his free hand to poke her side playfully.

"No, no, that isn't fair!" She squealed. "I'm sorry! I yield!" She said laughing.

He righted her and let her slide down his body to the ground. "Mmm-hum…" He smirked very proud of himself at the moment and kissed her again before looking at the others who were watching clearly unused to this playful side of Don.

He nudged her with his nose playfully against her face as his cell phone rang. He chuckled and lifted the phone from his side. "Eppes." He rubbed his head listening. "Yeah. All right. Okay, I'm on my way."

Espa looked at him. She had retrieved his Frisbee during his distraction. She played with it as he looked up.

"Sorry, guys, Espa, gotta go. You know, work. I'll see you, all right." He said putting up his phone. He gave his brother a high five. He stepped to Espa. "Play for me, will you?" He said and kissed her lightly on her mouth. "See you later tonight, huh?"

She nodded and watched him jog off across the field. Larry and Charlie watched him go too.

"Yeah. Well, there he goes back to the unattainable." Larry said.

After the round of disk golf Espa returned to the campus with the two professors. She had donned a white cover-up button up shirt. She walked between to the men. She was gently humming.

"What are you humming Espa?" Charlie asked. "Can you sing it?" He asked his eyes hopeful. He loved her singing. She had sung out in the yard several times when she had been over with Don. Larry looked at her too.

She took a breath. She reached into her bag and pulled out her Bodhran. It was a beautifully painted hand drum from Ireland. She began to play it with the ease of someone who had for years.

Tonight we're going to meet some lads  
Us girls are dressed up gaily  
And we'll be dancing 'til the dawn  
We're going to the céili

The lads, they come from miles around  
From Ennis and Kilmaley  
To show us all their fancy steps  
We're going to the céili

They're playing tunes and everything  
From pipes to ukulele  
It sounds so good, you can't sit down  
We're dancing at the céili

Two kids joined who had been playing a bongo drum and a guitar. They quickly found the beat of the Irish drinking song and laughed. 

All the boys we loved so well  
So handsome, young and charming  
They're in New York and Boston now  
They should be home here farming  
My own true love has sailed away  
To be an endless rover  
'Cause times are tough, and he must leave  
To start a new life over

He writes me letters every week  
To say how much he's slaving  
And he promises that he'll be back  
Before the hay needs saving  
But it's hard to love somebody  
That you're not in touch with daily  
So I'm looking for somebody new  
Tonight down at the céili

The winter nights are long and hard  
And time goes by so slowly  
I wish my true love, he was here  
And in his arms I'd roll  
He'd whisper tender words of love to me  
And kiss my lips so sweetly  
And quickly I'd surrender to  
His manly charms completely

He writes me letters every week  
To say how much he's slaving  
And he promises that he'll be back  
Before the hay needs saving  
But it's hard to love somebody  
That you're not in touch with daily  
So I'm looking for somebody new  
Tonight down at the céili

So I'm looking for somebody new  
Tonight down at the céili

I hope I meet someone tonight  
Who'll make my heart beat fast  
A handsome man with laughing eyes  
Who smiles as he walks past  
And when the play an old-time waltz  
He'll twirl me 'round the floor  
And promise me that I will be  
His girl forevermore

His girl forevermore  
His girl forevermore  
Who'll promise me that I will be  
His girl forevermore

I'm somewhat in a bother  
That is really quite alarming  
I have two lads pursuing me  
And each of them is charming  
One of them is dark and poor  
One fair with lots of money  
I don't know which one to choose  
The flower or the honey

What on earth am I to do?  
It's driving me half crazy  
Tonight I'll make my mind up  
When I see them at the céili

To be a poor man's wife  
Will be a life of washing dishes  
While a rich man's wife will surely have  
Great luxury and riches  
In comfort how I know  
It wouldn't be too hard to wallow  
And being poor is not much fun  
Which one should I follow?

What on earth am I to do?  
It's driving me half crazy  
Tonight I'll make my mind up  
When I see them at the céili

I've been lucky, I've found a lad  
Who's handsome and a neighbor  
And me, I've met a decent man  
Whose friendship I will savor  
And me, I made my choice as well  
And in no way was it easy  
But I'd rather have a man for love  
Than be a rich man's lady

And that is how the story ends  
May true love never fail me  
We got ourselves three men tonight

And we met them at the Ceili

By the end there was a fair crowd listening as she stood on a low flower border moving about with the beat of the guitar and the bongo drum. She bowed as she flushed with embarrassment as everyone about clapped.

After her impromptu on the school plaza she took a breath and went to go sun herself for a while Charlie and Larry went inside.

It was about an hour after when she ran into Larry in the hall. With him was a beautiful girl of Indian extraction. Larry introduced them. Instantly Amita and Espa became friends.

As they walked out of the building Charlie caught them. "Hey, guys. Hey, I've got a complex data analysis problem. Either of you free?" Espa smiled knowing instantly from his words that she was not needed with math involved. "B-both of you? I prefer both." He said and then looked at Espa. "I'm sorry. I meant…"

"I know what you meant." She assured.

"I…I have some, a couple of hours." Larry said biting his nail.

"Charlie, have you seen the guest lecture schedule for this week?" Amita asked.

"No, I haven't. Why?" Charlie asked.

Espa followed listening. She was a people watcher and Charlie fascinated her by how his brain functioned, and how different it was from her own though process.

"Oh, don't…damn it. Don't tell me I've gotten stuck hosting another reception." Charlie said.

"No, uh, some guy's giving a talk on the asymptotics of random matrices." Amita said

"Hey, you've done some distinguishing work there, haven't you?" Larry asked.

"The guest lecturer's name is…" Amita said, but Charlie cut her off.

"What the hell is that son of a bitch doing here?" Charlie hissed seeing a professor in the distance.

"To whom are you referring?" Larry asked.

Espa touched his arm. "What has you so rattled?" She asked. She stood on tiptoe and saw a man between the archway of two buildings about thirty yards away waving.

"Marshall Penfield." Charlie said through his teeth.

"That's the guy. The guy that's giving the talk." Amita said

Espa winced.

"Oh, really." Charlie said as Penfield came toward them. "Marshal and I, we attended Princeton together."

Espa had never seen Charlie upset by a fellow professor before.

"Every chance he got, he slammed my work." Charlie continued. "And the only keg party I ever threw, he stole the keg." He looked at the man about his same age. "Marshall."

"Hey Eppesy. You coming to the talk?" Marshall asked. "It's gonna be a good one."

Espa cocked her face and mouthed 'Eppesy' to the other two as her eyebrow arched.

"I just heard about it. Ever so excited." Charlie said his voice full of sarcasm. "Wondering what your subject could be."

"Oh, same old, same old." Marshall said. He saw Espa and Amita standing there. "Hi. How you doing?" He asked openly flirting with them.

"Amita Ramanajan, Esperanza Urriolabetia meet Marshall Penfield."

"Dr. Marshall Penfield." He said taking Espa's hand as he bent to kiss it.

Espa looked at Amita. Did he think them students?

She laughed and retracted her hand. "We are Doctors as well, _Marshall_." She said with a warning look. "I am a professor here in the history department and I am taken." She said looking at Charlie out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh…you are Eppesy's girl then?" He said and held up his hands.

"Yes. Technically, but I am his brother's girlfriend actually." She said shifting her weight and jutting a hip bone out with the air of a 'and you are not getting any of this'.

Charlie smirked a little, but covered it with a cough. "You found a new approach?" He asked stepping between Marshall and the ladies. "Only because I recall your earlier attacks on my analysis of Plancherel measures. You made an ass of yourself."

Marshall chuckled a little. "Yes, but unlike you, I continued to work in the field. And I made some interesting findings."

Espa and the other two looked at each other.

"Elaborate." Charlie said stepping closer to him. Espa sensed a bit of trouble and reached out laying an arm on her confidant's shoulder in warning.

"A flaw in your work." Marshal said.

Charlie straitened to his full height and Espa held his elbow digging in her nails a little to warn him it was not worth it to get into a brawl here in the middle of the campus quad with a fellow professor.

"I'll spare you the details." Marshall said with a smirk. "I'll save it for the talk, but, bottom line, your big breakthrough, the Eppes Convergence, its wrong."

Charlie stood still his eyes full of unmasked outrage at that.

Marshall smiled and looked passed Charlie at the women. "It was nice to meet you." He said sweetly.

They all watched him go. Espa's hand dropped from Charlie's arm, but the other came up and rubbed his shoulder to reassure him a little.

"Hey Espa…wanna get some coffee?" Charlie asked her.

"Sure…" She looped her arm through his and they walked to the campus shop.

They walked in and Espa froze as the smell stopped her dead in her traces. Her hand went to her mouth as she suddenly felt nauseous. Charlie saw her pale about her face.

"Espa…here sit down out here in the shade. Let me get you something." He said.

"Thanks…I must have gotten too much sun today." She said putting her head to her forehead.

"I will get you something cool. Lemonade, perhaps?"

"Yeah, that would be lovely. Thanks." She said taking a breath.

As he opened the door she felt her stomach lurch again, but she closed her eyes and willed it away unsure why the smell of roasted coffee made her want to vomit just now. She loved coffee…

He returned minutes later and she seemed to be a little better. She sipped her drink. That was damn curious. She drank coffee daily. Why was it suddenly not agreeing with her?

Don called Espa to tell her she was working a hard case to crack. They had seven robberies and two dead. Worse they had no idea how it was going down or where the merchandise was going.

He was using Charlie to help solve the case, but they had few leads. He was at the office because he could not spare to come home. She, of course, as normal, was understanding, and told him to call her when he was free.

Don finally was able to get free of the office about six. He called Espa and asked if she could meet him for dinner. She agreed.

He was waiting for her when she came in wearing her wrapped sarong still and Chacos, but she was wearing a blouse of blue now.

He smiled. "You are lovely as always." He said standing and giving her a quick kiss before pulling out her chair for her. She sat down and he pushed it forward for her.

She smiled. He was always a gentleman despite what some said about him.

"How is the case going?"

"Well enough. Actually I need to ask you a really big favor. I have a computer hacker who got into the FBI files and can see all my female agents. I would not be asking you if I did not think that you would be perfectly safe…"

She cocked her head. "What are you wanting me to do?" She asked.

"Nothing major…I…"

"What can I get you to drink?" A waitress asked coming up.

"Iced Tea and water." Espa smiled.

"Water is great for me thanks." Don said. He watched her go off and looked back. "Can you pose as an antiques dealer for me?" He asked taking her hand softly. He rubbed her knuckles. "We are setting up a buy for like eleven tonight." He said.

She smiled at him. "Of course." She said.

"Well I only ask because you are the only woman I know besides an agent who can defend herself with her bare hands…so…"

"It's good Don." She said holding up her free hand.

Their drinks came and she smiled at him. He smiled back. "I love you, you know." He said. He truly loved the fact he could just ask her to do this with out repercussions later. She was willing and she was good. Both he needed. She also fit the bill when dressed up. She passed for a rich secretary in his eyes and he was sure some idiot antiques dealer would fall for it.

Dinner was lovely and then he drove her to her apartment to pick out a dress. He found a beautiful black one. She put it on and modeled it. He had Gretchen on his lap and smiled.

He drove her to the FBI lot to pick up her temporary car. She put her make-up on in the car. He smiled. She could be a streetwalker, but her makeup was too perfect as was the dress.

Don had picked out a silver Z3 convertible BMW. He took her to the small bathroom and pushed her dress down. She gasped. "Don…" She hissed thinking it an advance. This sure as hell was not the place for…

He pursed his lips and taped a tiny wire microphone under her right breast clearly out of sight from anyone looking down her plunging neckline. He fixed it back with a smile. He then unzipped the back and put the small battery pack against the small of her back with tape. He zipped her back and smiled. Lastly, he ducked and put a small dot in her ear so she could hear the FBI agents. He dropped her hair down to hide that. Easy enough with her thick gorgeous hair.

He kissed her. "You ready for this?" He asked rubbing her ears.

"Yep." She said as she moved and removed her Chacos. She pulled out a pair of sexy stiletto heeled shoes with delicate buckles. As she lifted her leg to fasten one he saw a belt around her thigh. He reached and noticed it was not a gun she packed, but a knife. He drew it and nodded. It was a good size and he knew well she could kill with it if she had to as a last resort.

"For an emergency." She said and shrugged.

He nodded and walked her to 'her' car. "Remember you have Colby and David getting your back with several other agents. I am on the radio too as tactical command." He kissed her softly. "Good luck." He said.

She drove off to the location Don had typed into her onboard computer for directions. "Okay." Don said jumping into the van as he moved to follow her. "Can you hear me Espa?"

"Loud and clear." She said driving the car. "This handles nice…"

"Mind on the job Espa." Don said.

"Right…" She said and looked about.

She made it in good time to the place to meet the men. The agents had set up around out of sight, but around to take down the men.

Espa heard a car coming and got out. She reached up to check her knife and then took a breath and leaned against the car door. She smiled her charming smile as the black car came up and the back window went down.

The face of a forty-something year old man peeked out. "Are you the lady Jay sent over from his store?"

"Yeah." Espa said straitening. "He said you get him some of his best inventory." She smiled as she rubbed her hands a little.

"Nice…" Don said in her ear.

"I'm Roley." The man from the backseat said as he got out. "This here's Timmy."

"Hi." She said noting the beefy three hundred pound bodyguard and driver. She smiled at them.

"Sorry to make you come out so late, but, you know how it is." Roley said.

"Oh, I've been to worse neighborhoods." She said softly as she shook her head.

He punched in a code to get into the building and then used another to open on of the large storage units.

Espa stood hands on hips watching. Behind her stood Timmy watching her his hands likewise on his hips.

"So, let's see if we could do a little business." Roley said as he turned on the unit light.

Espa looked at all the valuable art in boxes and took a breath. She looked about as if shopping to cover her amazement.

"You, uh, brought money, right?" Roley asked looking at her up and down.

"Oh, I brought better than money." She said. She gave him a smile as she heard the Agents running in as Don told them to go over the microphone.

"FBI! FBI! FBI!" The agents shouted behind them causing Roley to look up startled. Timmy turned to make a run for it, but Espa was quicker. As he started to run she lashed out with her leg hitting him squarely in the stomach. As he bent over she turned and delivered a hit from her palm to his face. She caught him under his chin as he looked up at her. He dropped backwards like a stone to the earth. "Stay down!" She barked.

Colby and David caught Roley as he made a run for it seeing Timmy dropped by the much smaller woman. "You stop right there! Stop! Get down on your knees! Hands behind your head!" David barked.

An agent cuffed Timmy who lay starting to come to on the ground. Colby nodded to her. "Nice take down." He said as he kept his gun on the men.

Espa nodded and then went in. Don had showed her several things to look for. One was a priceless lamp. She walked in looking about. She found it and picked it up gently in her head.

"You find something?" Colby asked as she came out.

"You know where this came from, right?" She asked. "This lamp…you know, don't you."

"We got it…" Colby said trying to stop her.

"Espa." Don's voice said on the ear bud. "I wanted you to find something not rub his face in it…"

"I'm really not one to ask that many questions." Roley answered looking up at her. It was clear he thought her an agent as well.

"No?" David asked. "Maybe you ought to rub it three times and find out where it's about to send you."

Espa smirked a little as she passed it off to another agent. Colby clapped her on her back. "Good work." He said.

"Yeah good work honey. Now let the agents take you home. I will meet you there when I have the loose ends taken care of." He said.

"You got it." She said and allowed them to take her to the BMW. Colby drove because her hands were shaking a little from all the pinned up adrenaline.

True to his word Don came home to his apartment. It was what they referred to as home since Espa was trying to sell her townhouse. They had discussed her moving in with him and she had agreed.

He stepped into the living room. He heard something jingle and he saw two small coal eyes watching him from a pillow on the couch. "Hey Gretchen." He said not expecting her there.

The dog had not barked when he had come in. He smiled and sat down and scratched her ears. "Where is momma, huh?"

She rolled over and he laughed. He picked her up in his arms and held her on her back as he caressed her belly.

He then heard water running and knew Espa was in the bathroom.

He set Gretchen down and stood up. Gretchen grumbled and then climbed back onto her pillow. She walked in a circle before collapsing down in a heep.

Don walked to the bathroom and found the door ajar.

He looked in and saw she was in the shower. He grinned and removed his own clothing to join her. He made sure he had a condom with him as he pulled back the back of the curtain and stepped in.

She was softly humming and had not noticed him until his lips pressed to her shoulder. She jumped and turned to look at him. He grinned at her as he blinked from the splashing water.

"You are back early." She said.

"I think I am right on time." He said as he hugged her to him and kissed her deeply, the lukewarm water falling about and on them in rivulets.

Soon, Don pressed her against the wall and felt her putting the condom on. He smiled and quivered at her touch that was deceptively deft. She then straitened and he lifted her up by her backside and pressed her against the wall and himself into her as the water dropped about them.

He smiled and kissed her deeply as he moved against her. Her thin legs wrapped about his hips as she held his shoulders.

Oh, a woman to come home to was a good thing indeed.

Espa woke the next morning. Don had left already. For the first time ever he had not woken her as he got ready. She got up and started to do her morning retinue. She then felt another amazing sweep of nausea pass over her. So much she opened the toilet and closed her eyes as she knelt before it breathing hard.

What the hell was going on?

It passed after about twenty minutes. She shook her head and did not make coffee. Instead she made herself a cup of mint tea and sipped that as she ate some applesauce. She stared at the calendar. It was a six month calendar. Her menses start dates were circled in red. The last two months…there was nothing.

She took a breath and got up to look closer. No. It could not be that…Don and she had used protection and…She shook her head. "It can't be true." She said to herself. "It just can't."

Don was able to join her for lunch the next afternoon, however. They ate at a little deli a half block from the FBI building. Charlie and Megan had joined Don to talk about the case.

Espa, as per normal, listened far more than she said.

As they walked back, Charlie started talking. "Do you three realize what's in here?" He asked pulling out his cell phone.

"Well, in your case, a lot of unanswered voice mails. I can tell you that." Don said. He walked with his arm about Espa.

"After 9/11, the FCC mandated that all cell phones be able to locate people in the event of an emergency." Charlie said.

"Oh, right. That, uh, GPS locator chip has to be put in every phone by 2005." Megan said.

"And newer phones can be used to trck people within a range of 30 feet." Charlie said

"But you're still gonna need access to the classified data." Don said.

"Are you saying that these robbers have figured out how to intercept encrypted material from a military satellite?" Megan asked.

"No, that's impossible." Charlie said. "Listen, somehow, they've gotten that GPS information. They've gotten into the phones."

"Well, that doesn't explain how they knew who to rob." Don said

"Look, this is a two-part problem, okay?" Charlie said. "Part one, how do they know who to rob?"

"And part two, how do they know where the victims are?" Megan said.

"The phone is the key to part, locating victims." Charlie continued. "Part one, how they know who owns what, I still can't tell you. But you can be positive that all the families will have it in common."

At the door Don kissed Espa goodbye. "We are going to find these guys. I will see you tonight honey."

"Good…I am going to the drug store."

"For what?" He asked.

"Some medicine for my allergies." She said.

"Okay." He said. She kissed him and she went to the store.

She took a breath. She had spent the whole day trying to get herself to take the pregnancy test on the counter.

She needed to do it before Don got home. She took a breath and opened it. She followed the directions and then let it sit. She paced the whole apartment. Gretchen watched her and went back to napping on one of Don's shirts on the couch.

After watching fifteen minutes inch by she went back to the bathroom. She took a deep breath. She looked at herself in the mirror and then down. She had laughed, cried, pulled out her hair, and punched the wall all in those fifteen minutes.

She plucked it out of the cup. Two lines. She swallowed. Two lines met she was pregnant. "Shit…" She took a breath and dropped onto the toilet seat as she rubbed her head. "Wow…"

She took a deep breath and then used a paper towel to wrap it up in and she buried it halfway down in the trash basket.

She heard the door open. Don was home.

She took a steadying breath and wiped away her tears. It was Don's child after all. It could be no others. She still was startled since they had used condoms, but it had come to pass and now they would live with it.

She looked down at her belly that was still taut flesh. She was pregnant with Don's child…and she could not be happier.


	5. Bombshell

**Bombshell**

40

Bombings

8

Years

2

Bombers

1

MO

It was starting to cool off in the LA basin. It was none too soon. It was November after all and should have cooled down a month before. Esperanza Urriolabetia was glad for the change so she did not have to hide next to Don's air-conditioner.

Espa sighed. Her hand went to her belly a little as she looked up a moment before returning to her work. She had done pretty well hiding her bouts of morning sickness from Don so far. She needed the right time to tell him. She sighed and started to eat another saltine from her little box by her tea mug.

She sat in the kitchen using her paring knife to peel potatoes. She has dropping the peels into a bowl at her feet. Gretchen was asleep sprawled on her side on the kitchen rug asleep. Occasionally she would move and make small woofs as she dreamed.

Espa had been humming, but then started to sing softly to herself.

She was humming softly to herself. Hush, little baby, don't say a word.

Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird

And if that mockingbird won't sing,

Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring

And if that diamond ring turns brass,

Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass

And if that looking glass gets broke,

Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat

And if that billy goat won't pull,

Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull

And if that cart and bull fall down,

You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town

She sang softly as she methodically sliced.

Don had come in and she had not noticed. He leaned against the door of the kitchen waiting for one of his two girls to look and see him there. He listened to Espa's beautiful voice. He realized she was singing a lullaby. Why ever for? He looked and saw Gretchen sacked before the sink on the rug. He smiled. Singing for her. She really was a fur child. He shook his head.

He walked in. "Hey sweetheart." He smiled.

She jumped started. "Hi." She said.

He reached into the fridge and pulled out a beer. He smiled at her. "You want one?" He asked.

"No thanks." She said. "Could you get me the Gatorade though?"

"Sure." He said lifting it out. He opened it and gave it to her. He looked at her as she sat. She looked like a serving wench with her skirt hiked up to above her knees, she wore only a loose silk blouse, and wore a kerchief to keep the quickly made bun off her neck. She sipped her Gatorade and watched as he moved and cracked open his beer.

Gretchen opened and eye, saw him, and then rolled over and went back to sleep. He chuckled and looked at Espa. He dropped into a chair watching her. "Those for dinner?" He asked

"Yep." She said.

"You spoil me." He said.

She chuckled. She then started to sing again this time a song for her class that she would sing tomorrow.

Follow the drinking gourd,  
Follow the drinking gourd,  
For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom

If you follow the drinking gourd

When the sun comes back and the first quail calls,

Follow the drinking gourd,  
For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom

If you follow the drinking gourd

The riverbank will make a very good road,  
The dead trees show you the way,  
Left foot, peg foot traveling on,  
Following the drinking gourd.

The river ends between two hills,  
Follow the drinking gourd,  
There's another tree on the other side,  
Follow the drinking gourd.

Where the great big river meets the little river,  
Follow the drinking gourd,  
The old man is waiting, for to carry you to freedom

If you follow the drinking gourd

He listened and smiled. "What is that song about?" He asked as she stood up and went to the stove and dumped the potatoes in a pot of water.

"The Drinking Gourd?" She asked. "It is what the slaves called the Big Dipper. It you follow it, it leads you north to freedom." She said. She stirred another pot and then turned back to him. "It is a song from the Underground Railroad." She said.

"It is so fun having a Historian as a girlfriend. I learn far more than I ever thought I would."

"Ahh…useless huh?" "No helpful. I do not get what my brother does, but your work actually has practicality in my life. Charlie helps me solve crimes, but I have no idea what the stuff he says means really. You make history interesting."

"Ahh…" She smiled.

He kissed her and rubbed her back. "Come now…sit down and relax for a moment." He said. They sat down in two chairs. After a moment of him rubbing her foot and her sighing in pleasure, his phone rang. Espa smiled tolerantly as she reclaimed her foot from his palm and went to check on the food.

He looked up at her as he answered. "Eppes…yeah…okay…I will get over there in a few moments." He looked at his watch. He hated at times being on duty. This week was his time to go out on calls first and then inform the others if it could wait until morning. At least next week he would have a couple of days off to make up for it.

"What is it?" She asked as she turned seeing him hold his head. "I have a man on death row that dies tonight at midnight. At six o'clock a copycat bombing occurred in Brentwood. Well, we assume a copycat since we have had Kellogg in jail for four years now. He was convicted for twenty-five counts of bombing, six counts of murder, and a terrorist to the American way of life."

"Someone is trying to make you think you do not have the right man." She said. "I remember the case. He confessed too didn't he?"

"Yeah…maybe." He shook his head. "Oh, he confessed. He wanted us to know it was him." He said and shook his head to try to clear it. "I have to get down there." He sighed. "Plus I am supposed to watch his sentence carried out."

"I know. Go get them." She sighed. "Thank God I was not invited. I may throw up."

"What? You are tough as nails. You would likely do better than me. Besides…lethal injection is a quiet way to go."

"Yeah, still." She said coming to get his hug and his kiss.

"Come back as soon as you can…we need to talk."

"Serious?"

"No." She smiled as he walked to the door grabbing his coat. Espa listened to him go out the door and sighed as she sat down again. She needed to tell him.

His work and her own schedule had prevented her from telling him for nearly a month. Soon she would not be able to hide it anymore. Better to come clean now and let him have as much time as he could to get ready for it. She had gone in two days after having her home pregnancy test. It was confirmed. She was fit and pregnant. The thought made her smile. A baby. Don's baby. And she would carry for nine months and then they would raise a kid.

It was amazing and intimidating as well. She was about three months now and was starting to show. Espa looked down and patted her still mostly trim belly. There was a slight soft swell, but one only saw it if one knew what they were looking at. She knew that Don had not noticed or he would have said something about it. She sighed.

A serial bomber indeed. It was bad enough to have another one of those on the loose. Wait until he had this bombshell to contend with. She had no idea how he react to the news. She sighed.

Hell, she had not full absorbed it yet.

Don had gone to the crime scene. The MO was clearly the same. A small wooden box filled with nails rigged with explosives and tripped by a cell phone charger. The nails had sprayed out in what could have been a deadly spray. CSI was busy pulled thousands of finishing nails from the walls.

Then Don needed to go to the execution.

He walked into the room. There were several people there. He walked to Nadine's side and looked at a young woman being held by a man who definitely looked like her. Brother and sister he had no doubt. They also had an uncanny resemblance to Regan Kellogg.

The curtain pulled back revealing Regan Kellogg strapped to a table. An IV was in his arm. He looked at Don and Nadine and then his kids.

"Do you have anything to say?" The head of the operation asked.

Regan looked strait at his kids. "I love you both." He said calmly. "Richard… take care of Jennifer for me. She's your sister and she has no one else." Then he turned and looked Don strait in his eyes. "This hasn't ended." He said in a low hiss. He then looked back at his kids.

Don blinked not sure what the man was taking about. Did he know about the bombings?

"Regan Kellogg, you have been sentenced by the State of California to be die by letal injection. Liquids will be pass into your body until you are dead. Executioner please begin." The head of operation said.

Don looked up and watched the plungers begin to drop. Two at once. When they were done, three others dropped.

Regan kept watching his weeping daughter. Then he too a deep breath and closed his eyes as though he was going to sleep.

Don looked at Nadine as the head of operation nodded to the doctor.

The doctor stepped forward and touched Regan's arm checking for a pulse. He then touched his neck. He looked up at the clock. "Time of Dead: Eleven – sixteen PM."

"You killed him! You bastard! You killed him!" Jennifer Kellogg said as she broke free of her brother and went at Don. She used her small fists to beat Don's chest before he and her brother managed to pull her off of him.

An officer stepped between them and nodded to Don. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Hey easy." Don said holding up his hand.

"I am sorry sir." The brother said holding his sister in his arms. "She is just…"

Don nodded.

It was done…

Don came home about one in the morning. He had gone to work to set some things in order before returning to the two bedroom he now shared with 'his ladies', as he called them. He walked in and sighed. On the floor was a small note.

He opened it. – If you are hungry there is a plate in the fridge. Just microwave it. –

He smiled. Espa always was looking out for him. He walked to the kitchen. He heated up his dinner and smiled. Though not as good as fresh her homemade gnocchi with pesto was really delicious.

He finished and put the dish in the sink for later. He sighed pulling off his shirt as he headed back for their bedroom. He walked by the second bedroom that still had a couple of boxes that Espa had not unpacked yet. She had been using it as an office.

He smiled seeing her papers piled up in piles in her version of organized chaos. On the floor stacked were her CDs. He walked into the bedroom. Espa was sound asleep on her side with the air-conditioner on. She wore a white camisole and only had a sheet covering her form. Gretchen lay sprawled on her side next to her.

He smiled. 'His girls' were definitely good for him, but they did not help his stress level. He worried for Espa even though she was fully capable of handing herself. He sighed remembering their talks that often well into the night about their respective families.

He walked to his dresser and smiled as he removed his pants as he saw the picture he had gotten in the mail two days ago. It was a picture of him standing with Espa and Lupe. Naturally little Lupe had been the artist. He smiled as he shook his head.

That little cutie was another reason he worried.

He climbed into bed to the sound of much grumbling from the dachshund at his knee level. He smirked and kissed Espa's shoulder. "Good night sweetheart." He said softly to her sleeping form as he curled about her body and held her as he drifted to sleep with the woman he loved sound asleep in his arms.

By the time Espa woke up Don had showered, dressed, and gone to work. She smiled and stretched. She looked at Gretchen and pulled her into her arms.

"I need to tell him today." She sighed. "I am not sure how. Any ideas?" Gretchen gave her a sleepy look. "You are no help." Espa hissed.

She got up and dressed in a t-shirt and in jeans. She smiled a little noting how hard it was to get into the jeans that had fit pretty well even a week ago. Her body was changing in little ways. She touched her waist. It was starting to disappear. She sighed and pulled on a tan T-shirt. She sighed and put her hair in a ponytail. She looked at herself in the mirror and took a breath.

She was ready…she thought. Ready to teach her class and then talk to down. Ready. Kinda…

Her class went well. There had been some good discussion on Middle East Nationalism. She sighed. Now for the hard part.

Espa collected her badge at the door of the FBI building. She smiled at the door agent. She showed her badge and walked into the building. She then caught the elevator. She smiled at the agents in it. One the sixth floor she stepped out and thanked the man who held the door for her.

She sighed and looked at the activity about her. She walked down the hall and to Don's desk. His crew was standing about discussing the bombing. She listened in from the background.

"So what have we got besides two bombings. They are in opposite sides of the city. They did not cause any loss of life yet, and out suspect was executed last night." Don said.

Espa stepped forward.

Don looked and smiled. "Hey, honey. How are ya?"

"I am good. Bad time?" She asked looking at his team shyly.

"Not…what is up?" He asked.

"Can we go talk somewhere…alone?" She asked.

"Sure…come with me." He said as he led her to the interrogation listening room. It was sound proof and it was the only place that they would not be disturbed or listened in on. He was fully aware that Megan had been watching him.

He put a hand on her back and led her toward the room. She paused and put a hand to her lips suddenly feeling a touch of nausea at the nerves she was feeling. She took a breath. "I…I need to go…to the…bathroom."

"Sure…" He said as she watched her turn and run the opposite direction with her hand pressed to her mouth. He had noticed that she was green.

He cocked his head.

He followed after her. He walked to the restrooms and leaned against the wall to wait. He knocked on the door after a few moments. He walked to the door. He knocked on the door. There was no answer.

He opened the door. "Hello?" He asked standing on the threshold. "Espa?"

"Yeah…" Came a soft croak.

"Anyone else here?" He asked.

"No…I am alone…" She sighed. "The woman left…" She said.

He walked in then and looked in the stalls. He saw her on the floor leaning against the stall wall. He saw her. "Hey…" He said gently. He squatted down gently and pushed back a loose lock of hair. "You, okay honey?" He cupped her face softly.

"Yeah…a spot of…illness is all." She sighed.

"Are you sure?" He asked cocking her head at her.

"Yeah." She said.

He nodded. "Okay." He said and straitened. He offered a hand to her gently. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. She held her head a moment at the rush from coming up to fast. She sighed then.

He rubbed her back as they walked out and made it to the room. She sat down in a chair gently and held her head. He leaned against the door with his hands behind him waiting for her to speak.

"I…am not sure how to say this…"

"What is it?" He asked.

She looked at him and saw the question on his face and in his eyes. She took a breath. "I know that we did not mean for this to happen….but…"

He stepped forward. "Espa, what are you taking about…"

"Don…" She took his hands. "I'm…I'm…pregnant." She managed.

He held her hands a moment and looked at her confused. "What?"

"I'm pregnant Don. I don't know how it happened…it just happened. I'm sorry…" She stammered.

He dropped her hands and stepped back. His face went through a gamut of emotions. Amazement, Fear, and finally anger. He leaned against the wall. "What?!"

"Don…I…"

"Who else have you been with?" He hissed leaning forward form the wall.

"What?"

"I…we used protection…whose is it?" He asked glaring at her. He pointed at her stomach. "Whose is that in there?" He growled his voice dangerously angry.

She jumped up with her normal speed and agility that always surprised him. She drew herself up to her full height. "Yours. You have come home every night and I have been there waiting." She was starting to yell back at him. "I would never cheat on you…Are you actually suggesting that I would?"

"I don't know Esperanza, you tell me." He said equally as loud. "I have been loyal to you…what have you been doing when I have been on the job w…"

The slap surprised them both. Espa had reared back and slapped him hard across the face, his head snapped to the right with the force of her blow. She moved to strike him again, but Don caught her wrist.

He then took a breath as his mind thought a moment about the whole affair for a few seconds. "Espa…tell me it is not true…" He said looking at her obviously not wanting to believe it, but she still could hear the slight hope in his voice, not that she really cared at the moment.

Espa could barely speak through her tears. _Oh, God, he does not want our child. _The pain she felt was sharper than any she had ever known. She did not know what the think for a couple of seconds. His tone had changed, but she had not noticed, blinded by her own anger. She felt herself teetering on the edge of complete anguish, but she had more than herself to think of, so she forced a calm that she did not feel. "I carry a child, it can have no other father but you. And I will not be sorry for it."

He could just stare at her.

Espa drew all of the strength she had recently found within herself to try and make Don understand. "I will love our child, Don." Her voice faltered over a choked sob, but she forced herself to continue.

Don eyed her and took a breath.

Espa could not stop her sobs any longer, and stood before him trembling in tears with her hands pressed protectively to her stomach.

_She meant it! _He could see...Espa had meant this to be a happy thing. _What had he done? _"Espa..."

She shook head and pushed passed him. She went out choking on her tears as she tried to hide them. He stepped out and grabbed her arm. "Espa…I…" His face held distress at her distress. "Honey…I'm sorry…We need to…"

"No, Don…No." She said and broke free walking away with him looking after her. He was both startled and bewildered. He had hurt her and he knew it. He sighed looking after her. He sighed and saw Megan as Espa practically ran past her.

Megan after her and then looked at Don and cocked her head. Don just shook his head and rubbed his face with his hand.

Don sat with his elbows on her knees and his face resting on his palms as he looked at the screen at where the bombings had happened. Charlie was working to try and predict where the next bombings would occur.

That afternoon there had been two more. Two locations. Across town from each other, but the same MO.

Espa, however, was a completely another matter. He knew he would have to deal with that soon as well. She was not picking up her phone. Not that he blamed her. He had not treated her well.

"What the hell was going on?" Don hissed. "Who is doing this and why?"

"Why is easy." Megan said. "The perpetrator wants to try and clear Regan Kellogg."

"So…we have a serial bomber who a want for revenge." Don said. "Have his kids brought in. I want to see what they knew."

David and Colby nodded and went to do as he said.

Megan sighed and looked at him. "What is going on?'

"What?" Don asked looking up at her.

"It does say behavioralist on my file." She said softly. "What happened with you and Espa."

"Nothing…" He said and looked down nearing the lie in his own ears.

"Liar." She said softly. "I know something was up. She was in tears and left. You looked stunned…"

"Look…I really need to sort this out on my own." Don said standing up. He pulled out his cell.

"Well if you need to talk…I'm number two on your Nextel." She said softly and walked off.

Don left Megan in charge and turned off his own cell. It would only for an hour or so. He needed to talk to Espa without interruption. They needed to talk this out with her. He had been shocked and said some really stupid things when he should have been supportive. He knew she was his and only his. The first test of their relationship and he had totally lost her trust in him by his betrayal to their love.

He had also read up on condoms while at work and found out they had about a ten to fifteen percent failure rate even wearing them every time. They had and he sighed.

He had never felt so stupid in all his life. She needed him now. And he needed her. He could not bear the thought of losing her. He would need advice from dad. He would do anything to help her. He sighed. If he had not lost her already…

He figured he knew where she was. He drove to his apartment and took a deep breath as he looked up at the windows to his apartment. "Well, lets get this over with." He muttered to himself.

He opened the door. "Espa?" He asked removing his sunglasses. He looked about. He walked to the kitchen. She was not there. Gretchen was on the couch on a pillow having her midday nap. He shook his head. Well at least she could relax.

He heard sniffing and weeping. He felt his soul break at the pain he heard. And he had caused it.

He came to the door of her 'office'. She was on the floor a box on her legs. He swallowed and took a breath as he saw her looking at pictures. He saw they were of her and Don, taken over the past four months.

She touched his smiling face and threw it back in the box. He winced, but he understood her anger at him.

Don dropped to his knees. "Espa…" He said softly touching shoulders as he held them and rubbed them. He felt her stiffen. He moved a step so he was beside her. "What are you looking at?" He asked.

"Pictures." She said wiping her eyes. "I am packing."

"Oh?" He looked about noting that there were several packed boxes around them. "Where are you going?"

"I can't live here anymore Don." She said looking up at him.

"Espa…stop, stop, stop. We need to talk about this." He said looking as she stood up and reached to lift the box up to stack it. He moved and laid a hand on her arm. "You should not be lifting." He said gently.

"Oh…you have decided you care now? Well, you are a little late." She hissed jerking her arm away and lifting the box and stacking it.

She straitened and pressed a hand to her forehead as she looked out the window.

"Hey. You okay?" He asked. He was behind her, his body near enough that she could feel his body heat.

"I'm pregnant and warm." She hissed and pushed him back and walked passed him into the hall.

He followed her and felt his heart go to his throat as she leaned on the table in the hall. He gently came to her and rubbed her back gently. "Honey…please…you need to sit down. You are over-exerting yourself."

She looked up at him from her hands. "Over-exert myself?" She hissed. Her eyes and voice were deadly quiet. It was a warning to him and he knew it. He actually had been thankful for the hard slap. He wished she would do more of it to let him know where he stood with her.

She walked away to the kitchen. He sighed and followed her.

"Espa…you are not well. I can see it in your eyes…"

She growled and whipped about to face him nearly causing him to walk into her. He took a step back and looked at her. "Well? Why ever would I not be feeling well?" She asked sarcastically. "I mean, it had nothing like say, my boyfriend does not want anything to do with me nor the baby he made in me…" She turned back and shook her head as she went to make a cup of tea from her boiling water on the stove.

"Come now Espa, I am sorry. I just needed time to digest it. I understand now." He said looking at her. "You have to believe me. I never meant to hurt you. I was being stupid when I said those things."

She looked up at him. "Yes, you were." She said. Her eyes were hostile, but she refused to yell at him. He deserved it, but she was not going to let him have the satisfaction of knowing how much she truly was angry or let him off that easy.

"Sweetheart…please have at me…something. I need to be yelled at for being an ass to you." He reached and brushed her hair back in the soft tender gesture she had come to know and love. "You look like hell…" He watched her roll her eyes and take a breath to make a comment and he spread his hands. "And I made you that way."

She shook her head and her hand shook as she picked up her tea mug. She sat down without her normal grace. He sat down on the floor before her looking up at her waiting and wanting her to yell or strike him again. His cheek was bruised from her last blow, but he welcomed the pain to this silent treatment that let him stay in the dark about her emotions.

He pushed back her hair again hesitantly and saw how pale and emotionally drained her features were. "Please…talk to me." He whispered.

"You seemed to have made up your mind."

"No…" He shook his head. "I was startled alright. I messed up big time and I am sorry. Please…forgive me." His voice was soft as he begged her.

"I am not sure I can Don." She said simply holding her mug.

He swallowed. That was fair. Well, her emotions were on overdrive. He would not repeat that question until she had let her mind and body come down from the high. He gently caressed her hands as she held the mug.

"Where are you going? You just barely moved in." He said.

"I will find somewhere to stay until I can go back to Boise."

"Boise?!" He looked up shocked and surprised. "Why are you going to Idaho?"

"I have a standing offer from BSU to teach history. Plus I can be with dad and he can help me raise the baby." She took a breath. "Since the father does not want it."

"So you are not going to do an abortion." He said his voice full of relief.

"No…were you wanting me to?"

"No." He said. "Thank God you are not. One more life does not need to die because the father was a fool." He looked up at her. "Espa stay…here. Dad can help…I will help."

"Are you ready to be a father?" She asked.

"No." He said honestly. "But…" He held up her hand to cut off her visious retort. "But I do not think you are ready to be a mother." He caressed her legs. "Please. I want to make this work."

"Can it?" She asked.

"We need to try. For the baby." He said.

"Being with me for it is not a reason." She said.

"Ah, but it is honorable." He said with a half smile. When she did not return it he took a breath. "Espa, I love you deeply. You are my soul-mate. I betrayed you when at the first moment we hit a bump and you needed my help I yelled and called you names. I realize that may not be totally forgivable, but please. We need to work this out for you, me, and the baby." He pressed his hand against her belly unbidden.

She gasped startled by the gentle touch. "I need to think…alone." She said.

He took a breath. "Okay." He touched her face. She resisted leaning into the caress. "Stay here. Do not do anything rash until you sleep it over, huh, please?" He looked at her searching her eyes.

"I am pregnant, Don. Pregnant by you."

"Yes…I know."

"I am going to raise this kid with or without you."

"Yes." He said.

"As long as you are clear on that. I do not need you in the picture."

"I want to be there Espa. Please don't paint me out until you have thought about this more." He bent and kissed her hands. "I will stay at Dad's tonight. Let you have your space. If you need me…call. Please." He stood up and kissed the top of her head. "I love you." He said softly, like a prayer.

"I love you…but…I…I need time Don." She shook her head and stood up. His eyes riveted to her belly. He studied it a second. He could see the soft swell, barely.

She walked toward the bedroom and he watched her.

Don went back to the office. He had turned his phone back on. Megan had given him a look and he told her he would tell her later. He sighed. There had been more bombings. This bomber was turning scary. The last one had severally injured an elderly man who could die.

So far there had been 24 bombs in a little over twenty-four hours. Kellogg's two children were less than cooperative. He hardly blamed them. Don had put their father in jail and had helped convict him and get the death penalty when he had first come to California.

He sighed. They were at a dead end until Charlie's equation came through. He sighed. He needed to collect his thoughts and get his head back into the game of being an investigator of crime, not a man whose social life had gone down hill.

He had never been one to have a steady relationship. When things had gotten too serious before he had either run away or in the case of Kim Hall, he had asked her to marry him, but then taken a job in LA FBI when his mother got sick. It had been a demotion, but he needed to stay with his family.

The idea that he had made a girlfriend pregnant let alone the fact their relationship was on a rocky outcrop at the moment. It was because of him. He was afraid of commitment to one woman. But more, he realized, he was afraid of having a woman and family at home that gave the people he captured a target against him. His brother and father were enough. A pregnant girl friend would always be on his mind no matter what.

He sighed. He loved her. Deeply. He was not sure about marriage or being a father right now, but he would support her and do all he could for her and the baby. It was his child she carried and the fact he had nearly called her a whore shamed him. He could not believe he questioned her.

He told his team he was going home to talk to Charlie. He called Espa on the way home. She actually picked up.

"Hello Don." She said softly.

"Are you all right?" He asked concerned.

"Yes. I was just sleeping."

"Sorry honey."

"What do you want?" She asked her voice growing defensive.

"I wanted to know if you were alright was all."

"You sound concerned."

"I am." He said.

"Could have fooled me."

"Espa…don't start. You do not need to stress yourself right now. Go back to sleep. I will call you in the morning , hum?"

"All right."

"I love you."

"I believed that once."

"I do Espa. You have to believe that."

He heard her swallow. "Good night Don."

He drove to his brother's home. He used his keys and walked into his family home. He sighed and went and sat down at the kitchen table. He put his face in his hands a moment and sighed.

He lifted the picture he had in his wallet of Espa. He smiled a little. It was the picture she had given him. The only professionally done picture she had of herself. It was a picture of her being a swimsuit model when she was twenty one. He touched her serene face. She still looked as beautiful now.

What was he to do? If he lost her he would never forgive himself and he was not ready to spend the whole rest of his life with someone he had only known for four and a half months.

"Wow, that is a nice photo. It that Espa?" Alan's voice interrupted his elder son's thoughts.

"Yeah. When she was an undergrad, she did a little modeling to help pay for her education. I think she should have been in Sport's Illustrated, no?" He said smiling a little.

Alan smiled and looked down at his son. "You seem a little preoccupied." In his hand was a pink envelope with stickers and drawn butterflies.

"A little."

"What's up?"

"Espa and I are having a bit of a rough patch. Hormones." He shrugged knowing his dad would pass that off as her period not the raging hormones of pregnancy. He sure as hell was not ready to tell him about that yet.

"And you have a difficult case as well. Charlie told me."

"Yeah." Don stood up. "They never tell you about cases like this at the FBI. How to balance your home life with the job."

"Oh so it is partly you as well."

"Yeah it is a lot me. It is not easy being my girlfriend. I think Espa is learning what it means." He said standing up. He needed a beer. "She is in yet another bad relationship and we have come to a plateau…" He sighed. She had told him about two of her ex's that he had been tempted to track down.

"Come one Donnie. You are projecting now aren't you?" Alan asked. "You and Espa are good for each other."

"No, I don't think so. I mean she is great, but…" He sighed. "I mean, I…I…I don't know anyone in my game who's got a really good relationship. It has been really good with Espa, but all good things can't last forever."

"Donnie, that can't be true."

"Well, it is. I mean, I…I tell you stuff, but…but you don't know the half of it, trust me. Espa does. Perhaps it is good she is realizing this about me."

"Somehow I do not find that comforting." Alan said as Don disappeared into the kitchen.

"It's hard." Don's voice came from inside. "I mean I really admire Espa for sticking with me as long as she as."

"Espa is a great girl." Alan said.

"You come home and she asks 'How was your day?'" Don said. He walked back in holding his beer. "And you're like, 'Well, I…I saw a decapitated kid today, how was yours?'"

"Well, you do talk about it with her don't you?"

"Yes. It is not good for her, but she is a good sounding board I will give her that." Don said talking a drink.

"Look, even when I could've had good relationships, I screwed them up." Don said. "This is not Espa's fault at all."

"What does that mean?" Alan asked folding his arms. "Damned if you do, and damned if you don't?"

"Yeah." Don said walking by him.

"Why do you sabotage your relationships then?"

Don looked up from the paper he had grabbed. "I have no idea, but I do."

"I think you are afraid of commitment to a woman."

"Well, kinda. Dad, it is more I am scared the job would hurt the woman."

"Well why don't you try to patch things up. Espa is a great girl."

"Look, Dad, it's easier said that done…" Don said crossing his leg over his other one and talking another sip.

"Donny, what's the worst that can happen?"

Don looked at his dad steadily for a moment. _The worst? Espa could leave him and go to Idaho with his baby in her whom he would never meet and he would never see her again. _He, however, could not face that nor tell his father that.

"Oh, you have a letter from Munchkin." Alan said handing him the pink envelope. "I got one too. I like being an adopted grandpa."

"Dad." Don said shaking his head as he opened it. He pulled out the letter. He half smiled reading it. "She has a crush on a kid at school. He apparently likes her. They do homework together." He took a breath. "He hurts her I'll kill him." He said after looking at the picture of a gun. It was his gun drawn to scale. He blinked. "I find it disturbing that she draws my gun better than my face."

"She draws ponies really well. I think it is human faces she has issues with." Alan said sitting down again.

"Lupe the evidence artist. I can see it now." He looked at his dad. "How many letters has she sent you?"

"About three a week." He said nodding to his stack on a bureau.

Don laughed. "Oh man…"

"Speaking of a girl who admires you. You are her hero you know."

"Oh, don't say that. She hardly knows me."

"Well you are. She's told me."

Don rolled his eyes. More guilt at hurting Espa washed over him. If he wracked the relationship with Espa than his father might loose Lupe and he as well. He shook his head. "Dad…I have a question."

"Yeah." Alan asked sitting down.

"I…I have a friend." Don said looking at the paper. "He has been sleeping with a girl and the girl got pregnant and he has no idea what to do. He yelled at her when he found out and she is threatening to leave him."

"Your friend is a moron. He needs to marry her and do right by her and his child." Alan said sternly.

Don swallowed. "But what if he can not repair the relationship?"

"Than he doesn't deserve her, but he still has responsibility to his child. He did have a fifty percent part in the conception."

"Yeah."

"Was he stupid enough not to wear condoms?" Alan asked. "I mean this day and age condoms are the least of his problems."

"I think he knows that Dad." Don said. "He just was curious how to fix this."

"Well, he made his bed and now he has to lie in it." Alan said. "And you need to repair things with Espa before you loose the best thing that has ever happened to you. Neither of you should be afraid to take a chance on a woman."

"Yeah." Don said rubbing his neck. He then looked at his dad and nodded.

"I have an early meeting. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Dad." Don said. He finished his beer and then headed upstairs to crash in his old room. He had a lot to think about.

Don went to his office early in the morning. He would call Espa about noon. She needed to sleep as much as she could.

She surprised him after there were about six bombings after the eight last night. That brought the number of bombs to thirty-eight. The casualty count was growing as well. Three murdered and dozens injured. There seemed to be no pattern. Charlie could not find a hot zone either. The points seemed to be at random.

Espa walked to Don and his team's war room. She adjusted the shoulder strap of her purse. Don looked up at her as he sat at his desk. "Espa." He said softly

"Don." She said.

He looked at her. Her face still had the signs of her weeping and undoubtedly she had wept through the night. He swallowed hard. It only made him feel worse knowing his fear was hurting her.

He stood up and kissed her cheek softly. She allowed it. He gently pressed her into a seat. She looked at him a little hostile, but allowed the gesture of sincere gentleness. It was clear he did not want her on her feet.

Megan nodded to the other two men to make a quick exit sensing that the two lovers needed to talk.

She set her purse down and sighed. "How are the bombings coming?"

"We are getting no where and the body count is growing." He sighed and rubbed his face. "We have no leads."

She looked at the display on the large plasma screen before them. "I still do not understand why someone would copy Regan Kellogg and not want to stand up and try to prove you had the wrong man."

"That is what Megan said." Don nodded as he sat on the table beside her.

She cocked her head. "Wait a minute." She said.

He looked at her curiously. "Maybe it is nothing. Do you have a pen to write on the screen?"

He passed her the pad and the stylus. "What do you see Espa?"

"Maybe it is just my Lib Arts brain, but…"

She started to connect the dots. In a few moments she had written out E-G-N and below it K-E-L-O-G-G.

"Son of a bitch!" Don swore. "The bomber is writing out Regan Kellogg with his bombs. He is remembering him. He patted her shoulder. "Good work honey." He jumped down and went to the door. Charlie had arrived. "Hey guys…we found the pattern."

"What?" Charlie asked. "There was no…" He walked in and looked at the screen. "Don…"

"He is writing Regan's name in a path of blood in out town." Don said. "Can you find out where the other bombings will be?" He asked his brother.

"Sure." Charlie said. "How was this found?"

Don pointed and nodded and the quiet young woman sitting in the chair watching the commotion. "Espa and her historian liberal arts brain." He said with a grin.

"But my math didn't…"

"Look, Charlie, sometimes things are more obvious." Don said grinning at the woman he loved his eyes full of appreciation. "Now to find a murder hiding in the shadow of another killer."

"He is sending a message."

"Yeah, and we are getting it loud and clear." Don said shaking his head. "Come here. We need to talk. I will see you to the car."

She stood up and walked with him.

"Thank you." He said his hand possessively on the small of her back above her skirt. His fingers caressed her gently.

"Glad to be of help." She said and offered him a small smile as they walked through the security. "Don…I am sorry I yelled at you…I…"

He caught her arm and pressed a finger to her lips. "Espa. You had a right to yell at me." He sighed as they stood just outside the front door. He gently pulled her to one side away from the agents moving in and out of the building. He made sure they stayed in the shade for her benefit. He had heard women got over heated very quickly. "Honey…I was in the wrong." He sighed. "I was just…I never have had to deal with this, you know."

"Me either." She said.

He sighed. True enough. She had been virgin when they had first made love. He sighed again and gently rubbed her arm.

"Don? Can we make this work?"

He looked down at her. "I want to…if you will have me."

She took a breath. "I do not want it to not know its father."

He smiled. "Good." He bent and kissed her. "I know I need to work some things and they are not you, they are me, but I will be damned if I loose you." He smiled and hugged her to him as they walked toward her car.

She sighed and buried her face against the comfort of his side feeling relief. He rubbed her back and shoulders.

"You know my dad said I was a moron." He said. "For not immediately jumping into the fatherhood role."

"Oh?" She said softly.

"Yeah. He has a very high opinion of you and Lupe."

"Lupe calls me and tells me about all the letters she has sent to 'Grandpa Alan'."

"She has sent me some too." He chuckled. "I think this has turned into idol worship of something."

"No…she just like the idea of a big brother who works with the FBI and police."

"And has a gun."

"And has a gun." She nodded. She flashed the first smile she had in about two days at him.

They laughed and then came to her silver Honda Escort. She leaned against the shady side of the car and looked up at him as he rested his arm against the car near her shoulder effectively trapping her there as the other hand went and gently caressed her hip. She yelped as it ticked. He grinned and kissed her hugging her to him.

She pulled away and tried to push him back. "Don…there are people watching…"

"Yeah. So what." He grinned. "I love you. Let them know it." He grinned and kissed her again devouring her mouth as his pent up remorse and love spilled out.

Finally when they both were breathless Don pulled back and caressed her face softly. "I will see you later tonight, okay." He said a smile on his lips. "I love you." He took her hands. "I want to be with you." He kissed her hands and then holding them both in one hand he dropped the other to her belly gently. "With both of you."

She looked at him and kissed him again. "All right." She said softly. "I will be at home waiting."

Don brought in the brother and sister again to interview them again. He had separated them to talk to them. The sister was hostile. The brother was quiet and refusing to talk. While Don was with Jennifer when she had looked up and smiled. Just after he slapped the desk to get her attention when an alarm went off.

A bomb had gone off outside blowing up a car. No one was in it, thank God, but…

All Don could do was stare as Jennifer paced in the room under guard. He sent David and Colby to the Kellogg home with a warrant.

A bomb had exploded there as well. Thankfully no one was hurt, but it was the last piece of the R in Regan. Fifty-one bombs in all.

Don had solved the case with his lover's help. He would thank her in his own way.

Don bought flowers for Espa and a cute card. It was their anniversary after all. Five months to the day that they started dating. He was happy and content, and a little scared still. He would soon have to make a choice of marriage of just support, but that would wait for now.

Don took a breath as he walked into his apartment. He walked in and shut the door. Gretchen came in and she scratched his leg and looked up at him. He laughed and reached down and picked her up. He scratched her ears as he carried her into the kitchen.

There were two pots cooking on the stove. He smiled. Espa had been cooking and it smelled good. He set the flowers on the kitchen table. He set the dog down and then lifted the lid. She was making spaghetti.

He loved her cooking.

"I love you." She whispered as said behind his ear. Her arms were about his middle.

He patted her hands and smiled. He turned and pulled her to face him. "Hello darling." He kissed her. He reached behind her and lifted the dozen orange roses and offered them. "These are for you. Happy anniversary Esperanza." She said softly.

She looked startled. She took the roses and sniffed them. She laughed nervously. "I totally forgot with the baby and…"

"Shh…" He said and kissed her. "I am glad I remembered." He caressed her face. "I love you. I want to be with you." He kissed her and deepened the kiss and his hands caressed her middle. "My baby…"

He looked down at her. Gretchen grumbled at their feet and then both laughed.

After the amazing meal he sat on the floor in the bedroom with Espa surrounded by candles. The flames danced across Espa's face. He toyed with a piece of her hair as he leaned down and kissed her pulling her into his lap.

She kissed him and started to unbutton his shirt. She started to push his shirt back and he reached up catching her hands. "No…we shouldn't." He said softly though his eyes were full of love and wanting. "The baby…"

She kissed him thinking his concern sweet and touching. She cupped his face gently. "I asked the doctor Don. You will not hurt me or the baby…" She smiled at him

He kissed her and started to reach for her clothing needing no other encouragement. "I love you." He purred gently as his lips moved to her neck as he lifted them both to the bed. He bent over her and kissed her as he started to remove more clothing as he started to make love to her.


	6. All's Fair

All's Fair

34,000

Insurgent Attacks

65,000

Iraqis in California

5

Calls to prayer

1

GOD

There was a hockey game at the Eppes house. Larry, Don, and Espa were all sitting in front of the TV. Espa was between Don's legs on the floor. She was leaning against his thigh as they watched the game.

She reached up. He offered her some of the chips he was eating. She smiled at him as he shook his head. He then smiled and dipped for a kiss from her. She smiled and caressed his neck affectionately.

A man made a shot on goal. Larry grunted. "Test that man for steroid use."

Charlie walked in. "You know, Dad, um, analysis of classic Sudoku has revealed six and half sextillion possible completer grids and five and a half billion essentially different grids."

"But none of that is gonna help me with this particular problem I have." Alan said.

"Well, you could also save time by using a program to solve the puzzle." Charlie said.

"Charlie, the object of doing the puzzle is to relax by wasting time." Alan said smiling at his son as he looked up from his Sudoku book.

"Using a solution program is relaxing for some people." Charlie said as he stretched a little in his seat.

Espa reached up for her glass of mint iced tea. Don sipped his coke was he watched the game intently. He had explained the rules to her a week ago. She had explained soccer to him. He watched as she stood up to stretch a muscle. She turned her body on her hips. Though still invisible to everyone else in the room, but him, he could see her slightly fleshed belly where his child was growing deep in her body.

He had really messed up a couple of weeks ago by nearly ending the relationship with the woman he adored more than any other he had had before and who was now carrying his child, though secretly at the moment. He had spent those two weeks making it up to Espa. Now things were comfortable and he was content.

She then stood against the wall.

"Charlie, are we still on for lunch tomorrow?" Larry asked looking over at Alan and Charlie in the other room.

"I was meaning to tell you, I, uh, have to cancel." Charlie said. "'Cause I…I have an appointment tomorrow. Well, not necessarily an appointment, but…"

"Might we say a date?" Alan asked.

"Uh, Susan Berry's in town." Charlie said.

"Ah." Alan said

"So, uh, we'll just reschedule, all right?" Charlie said.

Larry held up his hands. "Okay."

"Susan Berry?" Don asked. "Wait, she lives in London, right?"

Espa leaned forward looking at them all curiously.

"She does. She's a neuroscientist there."

Don arched an eyebrow. Espa leaned over his shoulder and took a chip.

Don's cell phone rang. He looked down to see who was calling. Espa cocked her head at him and smiled. She could guess what it was.

"So what's she doing in Los Angeles?" Alan asked.

"She's here on her book tour. Book's called _The Neurology of Ecstasy_." Charlie said looking at them.

"Eppes." Don said as he picked up the phone. Espa caressed her boyfriend's neck gently.

"Oh, the old nucleus accumbens, eh?" Larry asked.

"That's right, and she's invited me to a reading on campus." Charlie said.

Don looked at Espa and then his watch. "All right, on my way." Don said to the person on the line. "Hey guys, I got to go to work." Don said standing up.

"Okay." Alan said.

Don caught Espa before she could drop into the chair he had vacated. He pulled her to him and kissed her. He rubbed her back softly as he held her against him a moment. "I will see you in a while alright. You gonna stay here?"

"Maybe."

He nodded. "So say hi to Susan for me."

"You got it." Charlie said.

Larry rose to his feet.

"I'll see you guys later. Make sure you tell me what the score is, huh?" Don said to Espa and Larry as he clapped on Larry.

"Okay." Larry said.

"Dad, I'll see you later, huh?" Don said heading for the door. "Keep an eye on Espa will you?"

"Sure." Alan said.

"So it sounds like you're still carrying a torch for this woman." Larry said.

Espa cocked her head as she munched a chip.

"Not at all, no. You know, we're talking years ago." Charlie said. "I mean, I know, I know...I don't…we're talking…"

"Yeah, well, what are we talking? What happened?" Larry asked.

Espa stood up and walked over and leaned on the back of Alan's chair listening.

"Um, careers, long distance." Charlie said. "It'll be great seeing her again."

"Oh, definitely." Larry said walking over to look at Alan's Sudoku. "Nine, Nine, nine." He said pointing.

"Back off, Rainman." Alan hissed.

Espa smiled as Larry stood up and crossed his arms. She giggled and patted Alan's shoulder.

Don needed a consultant that had knowledge of Islam and Islamic politics. He knew who he wanted to go to. Working together with his lover would help them finish working through the problem they had had. Espa was an FBI approved consultant and often consulted about Islamic Affairs and was a translator for them.

Espa had come in with Don in the morning. She immediately went to work looking into things for Don. She called her contacts in Iraq. Colby listened to her speaking in Arabic. When she had information she stood up and walked with Colby and Megan to go see Don. She held a file.

"The victim was an Iraqi was an Iraqi citizen here on a work visa sponsored by the Women For Peace and Justice. They're making a documentary." Megan said.

"She was an activist?" Colby asked

"Definitely." Espa said. She shook her head. "Kafaji. I met her." Espa said looking at the file. "She was very outspoken."

"There were death threats against her by an extremist cleric in Baghdad." Megan said.

"A Fatwa?" Colby asked.

"Not officially." Megan said. "I mean, the cleric who threatened her is so extreme that the ayatollahs want nothing to do with him."

"Well…" Espa said.

"Well, officially, maybe they want nothing to do with him, but unofficially he could be doing their dirty work." Colby said looking at the two women.

They walked in.

David had run down the tape that the victim Saida Kafaji, a Iraqi national who was a lawyer. They put in the video in as the other three came in.

Don nodded to Espa as she came and sat on the table next to where he was sitting in a chair with a file on his knees. She nodded at the other visitor to the room. "Asad…" She said with a half smile of welcome. Don patted her leg gently before turning to the video. Charlie was seated next to Espa. He smiled at her as well.

"We had more rights under Saddam than with these extremist clerics. Iraq is a modern nation. I am a Muslim, a lawyer, a feminist, and a patriot for Iraq. Should I be beaten because of a dress code? Stoned to death for saying what I think?" Saida spoke on the large plasma screen.

"That was taped yesterday in Altadena two hours before she was killed." Don said.

"Saida Kafaji was organizing Muslim women internationally, gaining political momentum." Asad said.

"In other words becoming a threat." Colby said.

Espa nodded. "Yeah, they do not take well to women speaking out against them." She said. "Or finding things that contradict their set way of life."

Asad nodded.

"Guys, uh, meet Agent Allawi from Immigration and Customs." Don said.

"Or as we like to call it, ICE." Asad said. He looked back at Espa. "Good to see you again Esperanza."

"Like wise Asad." Espa said with a smile.

Don arched an eyebrow. Espa smiled and just dipped her head softly.

"Now, your victim had an ongoing fight in the press with radical Shitte cleric Mustapha al-Badr." Allawi said bringing up a picture on the screen.

Espa sighed. Oh she knew him.

"Wouldn't it be more convenient to kill her over there?" Charlie asked. "I mean, why do it in the United States?"

"It is possible she was fleeing, and they pursued her." Allawi said.

"Or they wanted to send a message that the West isn't safe for women." Megan said.

"Or at least outspoken women like her." Espa said. She opened the file she held.

"Uh-huh." Don said fiddling with his pen.

"And there's a mosque." Allawi said. "Right here in LA and the sheik on the left has a strong connection to al-Badr and Islamic radicals living in California." He said bringing up both a picture of the mosque and the cleric with his assistant. "But, uh, you know, there's no way of knowing who's capable of murder."

Colby and Espa nodded.

"I may very well be able to determine who's ready to commit murder." Charlie said.

"How Charlie?" Espa asked.

"Logistic regression models." Charlie said. "Now, they can be used to estimate the probabilities of things like a lighting striking and I can apply them to these circumstances."

Espa leaned down and leaned down pointed to something in her file as she whispered to Don.

"Charlie, just break it down for the guy." Don said seeing Allawi's confused look.

"Hmm. For a bolt of lightning, clouds must have certain internal conditions. Moisture, turbulence, negative electrical charges. Similarly, an individual's internal conditions, violent tendencies, religious extremism, and history with women can be quantified. Now, I cross that inner data with external conditions. Loyalty to a radical cleric, geographic location, and financial pressure, and we see where the lightning strikes. What I need is data on Islamic radicals living in California, as well as on the recent arrivals."

"What kind of data?" Allawi asked.

"Colby." Don said after nodding at what Espa had told him. Colby got up and went to them. Don passed the file.

"Data on attacks by radicals in the United States, and well as in other countries. I also need public information, like arrests, age, ethnicity, religion, length of time in the United States."

"Good." Don said standing up. "I'll interview the cousin and…and…" He looked at Espa. "Can you go with an agent and go to the mosque to…"

"He won't want to see me Don." Espa said.

Don looked at her and then nodded. "All right. You speak Arabic?" He asked Allawi.

"Mmm-hum." Allawi nodded.

"So why don't you try leaning on that sheik you told us about, okay?" Don said.

"Why don't I do it?" Megan said. "Let's see how he responds to a woman."

"Yeah, all right, that's a good idea." Don nodded.

"He will not take well to you." Espa said looking at her.

"You know him?"

"Yes…kinda." Espa said. "We know each other by reputation more than anything. We do not get along."

"You can do that together. I'll set up surveillance." Don said looking at Megan and Allawi.

"Actually, ICE has him under surveillance." Allawi said. "I can have them sent over. Esperanza will help you there."

"Get me those tapes, and we'll check them against anything Charlie comes up with." Don said pointing to everywhere.

"And, Colby, why don't you take the cell phone."

"You got it Don." Colby said putting up pictures on a clear board.

"Esperanza. Can you talk to people in the office?" Allawi asked. "Then we can just pick them up. Also see what your contacts say."

"I will." Espa said.

Don rubbed her back as everyone left the war room. "Are you all right?" He asked.

"Yeah. I will stay seated while I am calling." She said.

"That's my girl." He smiled. He kissed her softly as he went to go see to Nasreen Kafaji, the victim's cousin, in whose garden the victim was found.

Espa spent much of the time Don was gone sitting at his desk calling some of her friends in the Middle East to ask her friends about al-Badr and the Kafaji family.

Don came back after talking to the cousin. He looked at her as she sat with her hands on her head as she rubbed her temples. Her elbows rested on her knees. Don came to her. He bent down. "Espa?"

She looked up. "Hey."

"You, okay?"

"Yeah. I just talked to a bunch of people. It is not easy to get information about some of al-Badr and his men."

"Well, anything you have would help."

"Over lunch?"

He chuckled and held his hand out to her. "Sure." She took his hand with a smile and they walked to the entrance of the building side by side.

"You look good in that tie I gave you." She said pulling the silk through her fingers playfully.

He smiled as he opened the door.

"Don."

They both turned around to see Colby running to catch up for us.

"Hey." Don said. "Anything with the cell phone?"

"Yeah, it looks like she was on a call when she was killed." Colby said. "We traced to a motel in Hermosa Beach, but it was a dead end."

Espa sighed. "Well, whomever was on the phone was totally off the hook for murder." Espa said.

"All right. I got some names from the cousin. People who spoke out against Kafaji's organization. I could use the help running those down." Don said. "I will work on it as soon as we come back from lunch to talk about her contacts."

"Okay." Colby said.

Don and Espa turned to go.

"Listen, Don, we found a knife in a storm drain about a block and a half from the crime scene." Colby said lifting a file. "Sent it off for a blood and a DNA match, but the size of the blade, the shape of it, I'm pretty sure we have the murder weapon here."

"All right, so?" Don asked spreading his hands as Espa stood back listening as always.

"Here's the thing. Boot prints from the scene and now this knife…" He pulled out pictures from the file. "They're both military issue. American military issue."

"What?" Espa asked stepping forward to look at the pictures.

"You're kidding." Don said.

"Same stuff we used in Afghanistan. Same thing that's being used in Iraq right now." Colby continued.

Don looked at the pictures with Espa.

"The thing is, you can also buy it in any army surplus store." Colby said.

"Sure. I have a knife like that. I got it in Idaho Falls from the store there." Espa said.

"Oh, really? Where?" Don looked at her. "Oh, should you be on my suspect list?"

"Maybe if you didn't know where I was." She said smirking at him.

He shook his head at her.

"The American Military would never do this."

"Yeah, these are crazy times, Colby." Don said shaking his head as he looked at the knife. He then nodded to Espa to come with him.

They had a lovely lunch of panini and side salads at the corner deli. He smiled at her. "Well, what did you find out?"

"Not enough." She said sitting back having eaten ever speck of food on her plate. She sipped her milk chug and sighed. "Saida had a lot of enemies Don."

"That was what I was afraid of." He nodded.

"What do you think about the knife?"

"Murder weapon, but it was clean for prints."

"So the guy wore gloves."

"Why do you think it a he?"

"Women like quieter ways of killing. It is not easy for a woman to kill in such a way." She said.

He nodded. "I will keep that in mind." He smiled and kissed her cheek. "So I was thinking we should have a nice dinner with dad soon. You know tell him about the baby." He said.

"And nothing else?" She asked looking at him.

He took a breath. "Espa, I told you I need to work out things."

"Yes. I know." She said.

"Hey, I love you." He took her hand and kissed it. He sighed. "Let me take you to see dad."

"All right." She nodded.

Don dropped Espa at his brother's home. She needed to talk to Charlie while he went to talk to the cousin again.

Espa walked into the garage where Charlie was working. "Hey, Charlie."

"Espa. How are you?"

"Tired." She said her hand going middle subconsciously as she walked to look at a chalkboard.

The movement was not lost on the mathematician. "I am not the world's best judge of women, but, listen, Espa…the way you are touching your…"

She jumped and lifted hand away. She looked up at him in horror.

"Espa are you…pregnant?"

She took a deep breath. She put her hands on her hips. "How did you know?"

"I didn't, but you touched you stomach…I have seen you paler and you have thrown up." He sighed. He touched her arm. "My God…Does Don know?"

"Of course he does."

"Wow…are you engaged? When did…how far a long are you?"

"Four months." She said.

He took her hand and led her to the couch. "Wow…" He looked at her as she sat down. "I mean…wow…"

"Yeah."

"When are you guys getting married? I mean Don never said anything about you guys getting married."

"Well…" She took a breath. "He has not asked me yet."

"What?" Charlie looked at her. "You are pregnant with his child and he is not going to step up and be a dad to his own kid."

"Charlie…it is a little more…"

"No." He looked at her. He took her hands. "If…" He swallowed. "I love Amita Espa, but if my brother is so stupid he will not be there for you and his own kid…" He bent and kissed her hands. "I can…I mean to say is…" He touched her face. "If my brother does not see fit to be…be…a father and a husband…" He looked at her. "I will be for you and the baby." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her brow. "I will marry you and raise it."

"Charlie…"

"No." He pressed a finger to her lips. "Don't say anything now."

She nodded and she hugged him. "Thank you Charlie…but I have not given up hope yet."

"Charlie, I need…" Don walked into the garage and saw his brother holding Espa. She looked up and wiped the tears from her eyes. His jealously flared instantly, but he took a breath to calm himself. They had come too far to mess up it up by a small thing like that.

"Espa…honey." He smiled. "You all right?"

"Yeah." She said wiping her eyes as she stood up. She came to him and hugged him. She kissed his cheek. "I need to see what Alan is doing for dinner."

He caught her arm. "Hey, I love you." He told her and kissed her fully on her mouth. She half smiled and walked by him.

"No, you don't." Charlie said turning to the chalkboard.

Don turned to Charlie. "What?"

"You do not love her."

"How the hell would you know anything about it?" Don asked his voice gaining volume.

"I know plenty."

"Do you?"

"Yes. I know I would be man enough at least to stand by a woman who was going to have my baby."

Don took a step forward as though to attack his brother, but he froze. "You know she is pregnant?"

"She told me, yes."

Don took a breath and dropped down onto the couch. "You are prying into my love life and I do not appreciate it. You should clean your own house first before you start into mine."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Don eyed him. "Exactly what I said."

"Don…she needs you step up man. She has your kid in there and you are just content for it to be a bastard?"

"Wait, hold on, it is not a bastard…I…"

"It is until you marry her." Charlie said.

"You do not understand all that has to be thought over in this Charlie. I am not the most stable home life guy."

"Espa knows that Don. That is why she had stayed with you, but she will get tired of it soon enough and move on to try and find someone who will care for her and the baby in ways other than sleeping with them."

"Hold on, that is not fair, Charlie." He took a breath and lifted his hand. "What were you talking about with her?"

"We are discussed you not stepping up and doing right by her."

"Charlie, stay the hell out of my personal life."

Charlie shrugged and moved to go to the house. "If you do not step up and marry her Don, for her and your kid…I will." He said and left.

Don stared after him. He realized two things. Espa and Charlie told each other secrets. They were confidants. He swallowed. Second, his brother was being more of a man than he was at that moment. He had offered her marriage and security for her and Don's own kid that he had fathered. Don swallowed he had to do that for Espa, for his coming baby, and for himself.

He loved having a woman waiting at home, though he would never stop worrying about her and worrying about her worrying about him the nights he had to work late. Trust was an issue that they would have to settle and work through after he had nearly lost her for good. He would marry her to keep her and his baby with him.

Don took a breath as he stared at his phone. He finally took a breath as he heard Alan and Espa talking in the kitchen. They were cooking. Espa was laughing. Don could not hear the conversation, but he knew that she had sworn not to tell Alan until they had the time to do it.

He dialed. "Hello…Is this Lupe…It's me Don…Hello sweetheart…yes…still catching the bad guys…listen, can I talk to your daddy?" He took a breath. "Thank you…Hello sir…My name is Don Eppes…yes I am the boyfriend…well sir, I need to ask if you can come out here as soon as you can…well sir…I would like to ask you in person…if I may marry your daughter…and then marry her while you are here…" He sighed. "Well, I would prefer she not know about it until I ask her…of course sir. Thank you. Goodbye then…what…oh yes I can pick you up at the airport…good enough…see you soon. Goodnight."

Espa came out wiping her hands on a towel. He smiled up at her as the delicious smell of steak and cottage fries

"Who was on the phone?"

"Your Dad. He was put through when he tried to call me."

"I see. What did he have to say to you?"

He looked at her and then sighed. "Well, he wanted to surprise you, but…" He smiled. "He and Lupe are coming."

"Really?" She asked clapping her hands excitedly. "Oh, Don. That's great. You will be able to meet my dad."

He smiled at her pleasure. He then looked at her. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"Yeah?"

"Can you come with me to talk to someone?"

"Sure…why?" She asked

Don drove Espa to Nasreen's apartment. "Listen I need you. You understand this culture. Maybe you can help her open up."

"I can try." She said.

Don walked up to the second story flat. Espa stood with him as Don knocked. She heard footfalls and then the locks being thrown back.

"What are you doing here?" The woman who was no doubt Nasreen. "Who is this?"

"My girlfriend Esperanza." Don said as he glared at Nasreen trying to intimidate her.

"Hello. I am the FBI consultant for Islamic Affairs here in LA."

"Nice to meet you." Nasreen said.

Don stared Nasreen down. "The man who accompanied Saida to America is named Joseph Karens, he's a lieutenant in Criminal Investigations."

Espa looked up at him. He could have given her a little warning he was going to fillet this woman. She looked back. Nasreen looked into the hall and she looked nervous.

Don looked back and then back again at the young professor. "I need to know specifically what she was working on and who she was investigating and I need to know." He said his voice angry. Espa knew the tone. The girl had crossed him a bit.

"Okay, please keep you voice down. Come in." She said nodding to them. Don gently laid a hand on Espa's back and had her go in first and then followed as Nasreen shut the door behind them.

"Now, you said she told you everything." Don said. "What, there was no mention of him?"

"It's not what you think." Nasreen said drying her robe about her shoulders.

"What, you had something to do with her death?" Don asked eyeing her.

"No, why would you say that?" Nasreen asked shocked. She walked into her apartment. Espa followed tossing a look back at Don as she shook her head. Don followed and continued to growl at the woman for answers.

"Because you have been holding something from me from the get-go all right? I know it, I can tell!" Don said. Espa shook her head. Don could read people and he was a good interrogator to get information when he needed to, but that was not a way to get a distort woman to talk.

There was a tea kettle whistling.

"Now, people's lives could be in danger here, Nasreen." Don continued. "Anyone who helped her, anyone who gave her information!" He growled passing Espa as Nasreen turned off the kettle.

"They met while they were working together." Nasreen said looking up at him.

Don stared at her as she walked passed him into her living room where Espa was standing and waiting. "Yeah?"

"They fell in love." Nasreen said.

"What?" Don asked looking up at Espa's look that matched his own look of surprise.

Nasreen pulled down a curtain as Espa moved to stand beside Don. "Joe and Saida were married."

Don and Espa looked at each other. "They were married?" They said at once. It suddenly explained a lot.

"No one was supposed to know." Nasreen said looking out as she pulled another curtain down.

It made sense suddenly to Espa. "He wasn't a Muslim, the family would never approve." She said nodding.

"What, some sort of…" Don cocked his head in confusion.

"Honor killing? I don't know." Nasreen shrugged looking at Espa. "You understand."

"Yes." She looked up. "Don. That changes everything." She said softly.

"So, your family…" Don looked from on to the other of the women.

"Saida and I were progressive, our families are not." Nasreen said.

"They would kill their own daughter?" Don said a little horrified and disgusted at the same time. He was going to be a father and he would never thing to remove a daughter for marrying a Muslim or anyone.

"When I was in Saudi I saw a twelve year old who had been raped at a party, give birth at the hospital where I was being attended for my broken arm. She was removed by the religious police and her own father drowned her in his pool." Espa said. She looked at him her face swirling with emotion at that memory. "Her eyes…were so haunted. She knew she was going to die and that her family was going to kill her. Who knows what a family would do for honor."

Nasreen nodded. "It is deeply ingrained in our culture. Her father, her mother, her brothers, all of them would be shunned because of her action."

"I tracked her family and they weren't in the States." Don said still not believing that.

"There are surrogates." Espa said softly. Her arms were wrapped about herself.

Nasreen sighed. "Our families have many friends."

Don nodded. "Thank you." He put his arm about Espa. "We will be in touch."

Nasreen whispered something to Espa in Arabic. Espa nodded and smiled. She patted her arm and walked out with Don.

"What was that about?" Don asked.

"She just thanked me for understanding." She said as Don started the suburban.

"I can not believe there is such a thing as honor killing."

"The world is an evil place." Epsa shrugged.

They went home, got ready for bed, picked up Gretchen, and then gently made love together to reaffirm their bond. Don Eppes was a demanding lover. He could be aggressive and fast or he could be gentle and slow. He was both this night.

After Don held her as she lie on her side. His hand caressed her back, side, hip, and then the distinctive roundness of her belly.

"When should we tell Dad?" Espa asked feeling the light caress on her sensitive skin.

"Yours or mine?" Don said gently against her hair. "I forgot to tell you that your Dad and Lupe are coming for a visit. Dad told me."

"Yeah, Dad told me that he had some time to come out here to see me. He is not a fan of California, but he can stand it for a few days." She looked over her shoulder. "And Lupe will be thrilled to be around you again."

He rolled his eyes. "She is cute, but I have no idea what to do with a girl like that."

"Love her."

"Oh, I do." He said and he bent and kissed her mouth as he rolled her body back against his a little.

"Married a non-Muslim." Megan said putting Joe's picture up next to Saida on the clear board in the war room.

"Put her life in danger." Charlie said.

"Well, it's perceived as a disgrace to the family." Colby said.

"Yeah, it changes everything." Espa said leaning against a chair.

"Where are we on locating Karnes?" Megan asked.

Espa looked at their pictures on the large screen.

"I talked to the people at the motel in Hermose, they recognized the photo, but they said he left two days ago, so we're sweeping the room for DNA and fingerprints." Colby said. "We're pretty sure he was on the phone with her when she was killed."

Megan looked at the crime scene photos.

He heard his wife being killed." Charlie said softly.

Espa sighed. "Well, if that is true, than he is not her killer, that makes a good alibi right?"

"Yeah, he is not our assailant." Megan said.

"And yet, now he's gone." Charlie said

"Someone's trying to set him up you, know." Colby said. "Which means they obviously knew about the relationship."

"Or they killed her for being a radical." Espa said. "Do not discount that."

"So our murderer can still be linked to the Fatwa perhaps or the legal cases." Megan said.

"Yeah, I mean, people that worked with them would know they were a couple." Colby said. "It's hard to keep that a secret."

"Who's motivated to frame him?" Charlie asked.

Espa turned. "Any one with a grudge against her that wants to have the non-Muslim go down for a killing against a woman. "Two birds with one stone."

"Or her family, to restore honor." Megan said.

Espa nodded. "That too."

"Or somebody she was prosecuting." Colby suggested.

"All of these could have accomplices in Southern California." Megan said.

"And all would have ties to the Mosque." Espa said.

"So we're back to hundreds of suspects again." Megan said with a sigh.

"Well, no." Charlie said. The other three looked at him. "Because I took the one hundred and twelve names we came up with yesterday, and applied Social Image Typology to generate a more targeted list. A list…" He said pointing to screen. "…of possible murderers. Now we pose the question, 'Who's most likely to commit fraud?'" /he said handing them papers. "Fundamentalists believe that God is behind them, they're not gonna shift blame so we can eliminate them. This wasn't a religious killing."

"Can you be sure about that?" Colby asked.

"The most likely group are career criminals. See, because she was not killed here and not in Iraq, this is an opportunity for someone who lives here."

"She was prosecuting was criminals outside Iraq." Megan said.

"And, you know, that's been bothering me all along. That, uh, you, why would… why would anyone go through all the trouble to set up an international murder when you don't have to?"

"True enough." Espa said.

"Some of these names are in her legal cases, the Ex Baathists, Saddam's men." Megan said.

"So she was going after scum of the world." Espa said.

"Professional criminals with something personal to gain from her death." Charlie said.

"There's eighteen names on this list, that's still a lot." Megan said.

"So we're gonna leave Karnes to the Army?" Colby asked.

Charlie had a distant look in his eyes for a moment. "Wait. We know that Karnes is innocent. And he's been gone since the murder. I am going to posit that he's probably out to avenge the murder of his wife."

"And if I'm Karnes and I'm trying to track the killer…" Colby looked up. "But avoid the Army, I'm gonna need cover. A place to work out of…"

"A sympathetic ally." Espa agreed. "An army buddy."

Charlie nodded.

David and Colby went to go check out the main person on the list of buddies of Karnes. It was the home of a disabled veteran from the Iraq war.

Two days later Espa got a surprise call at the end of a lecture to come and meet her Dad and Lupe at the airport. He had bought stand-by tickets and lucked out in getting to come on the first flights to LAX.

Espa called Don to see if he could drive with her to get them. His team was out on assignments for loose ends so he could leave to take them to the Eppes house. He had cleared it with his brother the night before when her father had called to tell them they would be there the next day. They would stay in Don's room.

Charlie and Alan were excited to meet Espa's father and to see little Lupe again.

Don and Espa waited at the luggage claim for them. "DON!" A shrill voice cried over the crowd. Don turned to see a petite girl with a bear backpack running towards him at full speed from a man who had a strong resemblance to Lupe and her elder sister. He waved and Espa smiled and waved back.

Don sighed and dipped down to grab Lupe. He swung her, holding her under her arms a moment as she giggled before pulling her up to hug her in his arms. He was grinning as well. "Hey Munchkin!" He laughed at her as she hugged his neck and kissed his cheek. "How are you doing?"

"I missed you Don!" She said sitting up on his arm to look at his smiling face.

"I missed you too darling." He said and kissed her cheek. He grinned down at Espa who watched him with the small girl. Oh, he would be a good father and a good big brother-in-law if he decided to marry her. Well, even if it was Charlie who married her…she broke off that thought as Espa's father came to them.

He had a beer belly under his shirt that said 'I am a consultant, ask me anything'. He smiled as Espa came to him and hugged him close. "Hi, daddy."

"Hey, punkin. My little professor." He said and kissed her cheek as he held her close for a few moments. He looked up at Lupe as she held onto Don's neck and had her cheek against his chest watching her dad. Don held her and smiled at the reunion.

Don passed Lupe to Espa as he straitened and offered a hand to the girl's father. "Nice to meet you, sir. I am Don Eppes. Welcome to LA."

"A pleasure to meet you." The father said with a smile as he took Don's hand. "I am Dr. Ysidro Urriolabetia. Call me Ysidro."

Espa smiled as did Lupe. She set her sister down on the ground and played with her hair.

Lupe giggled "Daddy. He is Espa's boyfriend."

Don swallowed. "Well, yes, I am." He looked at Ysidro a moment. Then he looked at Lupe. He arched his eyebrow at her and pursed her lips. She giggled.

"I can see my daughter's taste has improved. She is now dating an FBI Special Agent and not losers." Ysidro

"Dad…" Espa warned.

Don smiled. "Well, I try, sir."

"Sir, is my father, boy." Ysidro said looking up at Don. "Call me Dad." He smiled.

Don arched an eyebrow fearful that Espa would hear her father's play at the secret between Don and Ysidro. "All right Dad." He nodded. Was fair. Espa called his Dad, 'Dad' already.

Espa and Don drove the two to the Eppes family home where Ysidro met Charlie and Alan. Alan hugged and held Lupe as she chatted with him as a bubbly preteen who had things to tell her adopted grandfather.

Ysidro loved the home and he nodded to Don as Don left. They had made plans to go out later to have some man to man discussion.

Espa settled in and played cribbage with her sister.

Don went back to the office for a couple of hours. They had found Joe Karnes. He listened while Colby and Megan interviewed him. He gave them a name. Qari Qassim, a Republican Guard who had raped Saida as a girl of fifteen. His cousin, Sami Qassim, as in the States. He was the one who had killed her, Karnes was sure of it.

Don gathered his team and had Espa on speaker phone. "Sami Qassim, who was on Charlie's list." He said looking at his computer where there were pictures of Sami.

"Baathist war criminal, Republican Guard missing since 2003." Allawi said looking at a file.

"So a buddy of Oday." Espa said on the speaker. "Great. So he has connections."

"We haven't been able to locate him." Allawi said nodding.

"Well, we have hair and DNA samples from the crime scene." Megan said. "If we can find him, we can match it."

"Yeah, but this guy was able to hide himself in his own community." Colby said.

"It does not mean they know who he is Colby." Espa said.

"Yeah, there's a pretty good chance no one really knows who he is." Allawi said.

"Or they do, and they support him anyway." Megan said.

"Prehaps…" Espa said. "But the people would not support him. They do not like them. Maybe out of fear of him…"

"Well, you think its worth reaching out to the Imam again?" Don asked as he stood up.

"There's no way he's gonna turn in Qassim." Megan said sitting back.

"Unless…" Espa said softly

"Unless we can prove Qassim isn't a sincere Muslim." Allawi said.

"But how are we gonna do that?" Colby asked.

There was a moment of silence as everyone thought about things.

"Nasreen, Don. She is the key." Espa said.

"Nasreen says she and her cousin were like sisters when they were kids. My guess, like Espa thinks, is if she were raped, I mean, Nasreen would know, right?" Don said looking at them.

"And she could tell Saida's story to the Iman?" Megan asked

"That is my guess…" Espa said.

Don nodded. "Good work."

He met with Nasreen to speak to her about it. Nasreen knew her cousin had disgraced her family, but she knew she could ferret Sami Qassim out of his hole. Don reluctantly agreed to her plan. It made sense.

He started Colby and David on it as he drove to pick up Ysidro.

"So how long have you been dating, my daughter?" Ysidro asked. His tone said he knew the answer. Don knew Espa talked to her dad multiple times a week.

"About five months." Don said as he drove downtown to a small jewelry store that Ysidro had recommended because he collected rare gems. His friend who was a dealer recommended the small store.

"I see." Ysidro coughed a little. "And how long has it been since she found out she was pregnant?"

Don jumped and looked at his future father-in-law. Ysidro's look was steady. "How did you…?"

"Know? I am not so innocent that I do not see her ripening figure. I have known her a lot longer than you." He smiled a little. "And I am the father of three." He chuckled. "Do not worry I am not angry. I am glad you are marrying her. Otherwise I would hunt you down."

Don swallowed. "I am glad I am as well. What is it like being a father?"

"Amazing…" Ysidro smiled.

They parked and got out.

Don held the door for Ysidro as they walked in. Ysidro stepped forward as a man came to them. "Hello. I'm Ysidro. Greg Harlton sent me."

"Oh yes of course." The man said. "What can I do for you, sir."

"My future son-in-law here needs a ring."

"Ahh…we have many bridal sets." The man said as he nodded to a case.

Don looked down. "Do you have anything without diamonds? Espa does not like them she told me."

Ysidro smiled. "Exactly." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He handed it to Don. "Those are her favorite stones Don."

Don looked at him and then opened the box. There were a pair of matching rubies and a beautiful orange stone that flared pink. "What are they?" He asked softly.

"A Padparadscha and twin matching Burmese rubies." Ysidro smiled. "Welcome to the family."

Don smiled. He knew that Pads were the most expensive and rarest form of sapphire and rubies of that quality were also rare. Ysidro was giving him stones from own collection to make a ring for his daughter. Don would get a nice and inexpensive white gold ring set to put it in since Espa liked simplistic things. The Pad and the rubies were lovely together.

"No one will know the true value of the ring. Besides the sentimental value the stones are worth about six-thousand and five-hundred dollars." Ysidro said

Don swallowed. And Ysidro was giving them those stones…He was amazed.

Ysidro smiled. "Like I said Don. Welcome to the family." He patted him on the back. "I know these will make her happy. When she is happy everyone is happy."

Don nodded. Don looked at ring settings and found the perfect ring. It was simple with a beautiful design around it. He smiled at Ysidro who nodded in approval.

Don turned to Ysidro as he looked at the ring in his fingers. The metal smith took it from him and set about setting the stones for him so he could take it home with him. "I know it is a bit old fashioned and it is a bit rushed, but I wanted to ask if I could marry your daughter?"

Ysidro smiled at him. "You better boy or I will get my shotgun."

"Yes, sir." Don said.

That night the Urriolabetias and the Eppes' went to dinner together at a very nice restaurant. Again Lupe charmed the wait staff with her sweet nature and quiet smiles. She sat beside Don. On Don's other side sat Espa in a beautiful dress of green. The men were in suits. Lupe was in a beautiful dress of lilac.

Charlie had put Susan Berry on the plane after a date with her. He had told Espa that he had feelings, but knew that it would never work.

The dinner went very well. The two families got along as though they had always known each other. They were having dessert and coffee when Don coughed a little. "As you all know we have been dating for several months now." He stood up and smiled at them. "I have not been one to keep steady relationships, but I feel that I need to do the right thing and keep the best woman I have ever had." He grinned at her. He dropped to his knee pulling a box from his pocket. He opened it and took her hand in his free hand. He caressed her softly.

Espa put her hands to her mouth as tears appeared. "Don…"

"Espa. I love you dearly. Will you marry me?" He asked looking up at her hope and love in his gaze.

Espa saw everyone else looking at them. She looked down at Don. She had wanted this to come, but it had robed her voice when it had finally happened. She swallowed and smiled. "I…yes…Don…yes, I will marry you…"

He laughed and leaned up to kiss her.

The others clapped as Don smiled and whispered to Espa gently loving words. She giggled and he wiped her eyes gently. Lupe bounced down and poked her head up between them.

"Hello." Don said and reached and caressed her hair softly.

"Wow, Mouse, that is a cool ring he got you." Then she grinned at Don. "See you are going to be my brother after all."

He smiled. "You're right sweetheart." He grinned. "I am going to be your big brother." He grinned and pulled her into his lap and looked up at Espa. "I am marrying your big sister and going to be your brother-in-law."

"And you're going to be a Daddy too." She grinned and then her hands went up to her mouth. "Oops." She said sheepishly looking at her sister who gave her a look. Don blanched and then looked over at the other three where the conversation had suddenly stopped.

Don smiled a bit guiltily at the look his father gave him. Espa flushed and smiled at her future husband.

Don looked at little Lupe and shook his head. He took a breath and inhaled slowly. "Ahh…well so dad…" He coughed.

"We're pregnant, Alan." Espa said smiling at him.

Alan's draw dropped. "All the trips to the bathroom." He said looking at her. He then looked at his son. "And you didn't tell me?"

"No, sorry dad…we were waiting for…"

"How far along is she? Are you?"

"Four months." She said.

He looked her up and down. "You look good." He grinned. He sat back looking at Ysidro. "We're going to be grandfathers."

"Yeah…" Ysidro grinned.

"This calls for some good wine and a toast." Alan said flagging down the waiter. "Yes…we need a bottle of Champagne and two glasses of milk." He grinned at the ladies.

"Sure, right away sir."

Charlie smiled as Don whispered to Lupe and Espa.

Everyone in the Eppes' home did not get to bed until late. They had been laughing and having good talks about the future. Don and Espa were going to get married before Ysidro and Lupe had to return to Idaho. They agreed they would return in a month or so for the reception that would be in the Eppes' back yard. Alan insisted on that.

Don and Espa went home about one in the morning. Don helped her to the bed. She was tired and she stumbled. Don stopped her and picked her up in his arms. She leaned against his shoulder. She opened the door for them.

He kissed her and then shut the door. He walked and laid her down on the bed beside Gretchen as he went about to lock up and set things right. He returned and found her in a T-shirt resting on her side.

He removed his own clothing and pulled on a pair of sleep pants. He smiled and laid down. Gretchen was snuggled against the curl of her hip. He laid down and kissed Espa's cheek.

He smiled. "Thank you…you have made me a happy man."

"Your brother offered too."

"I know. Thank you for letting me be a father to my own kid. Actually I was glad he made me realize I was hurting you, but not offering." He kissed her. "I love you."

"I know." She said sleepily. "I love you too." She kissed him and then laid back and soon drifted off.

Don went to work early. He dropped Espa and Gretchen off at his brother's home before he went. He did not want Espa to come to the mosque with him. He had told her on the way that though she knew the culture, there was likely to be shooting, and he would not allow her to be near that.

He then went to the FBI command post.

"Sami Qassim." Colby said passing out his picture to the agents about him as they were gearing up. "He was a leader in the Republican Guard under Saddam. This guy is brutal. And he's got nothing to lose so we want to stop him before he even makes into the mosque. Now remember, our first priority is to protect Nasreen Kafaji."

"No matter what goes down, you stay with her." Megan said locking a clip into her gun. "Qassim could have accomplices we don't know about. All right, let's do this."

"All right, guys, let's go." Colby said. "Let's hurry it up."

Don was to drive Nasreen to the mosque. Espa had been there to give her encouraging words on the phone and they had prayed in Arabic together while Don waited. Don then got into the car and drove her there.

Nasreen was shot, but she had been protected by the flack jacket that had given her. Sami Qassim was gunned down by Megan when he had turned to fire on her. Don had come in to tell Nasreen the good news. She told him that she was taking Espa's suggestion and going back to Iraq to spread the word for women and pick up where her cousin had left off.

Don went and picked up his father and brother. They were dressed and ready to go. Espa was being taken to the courthouse by her father and sister.

Don walked in. Don did not take his eyes off Espa who wore a dress of green satin with her hair made in curls about her head. He only half listened as the judge spoke.

Alan stood to one side with Charlie watching with smiles on their faces. Ysidro stood on the other side with Lupe standing before him grinning. She wore a matching green dress to Espa's and looked equally as stunning. Oh, yeah, Don was going to have his hands full.

"Do you Donald Alan Eppes take this woman, Esperanza, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health until death do you part?" The female judge asked standing before them.

"Yes, I do." Don said looking into her eyes.

"Do you Esperanza Mariah Urriolabetia take this man, Donald, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to honor and obey him, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health until death do you part?"

"I do." She said softly.

"Do you have your rings?" The judge asked.

Don produced them. He lifted her ring. The judge spoke and he repeat. "With this ring I give my promise to be yours. We are bound together with these circles and they can never be broken."

He slid it onto Espa's finger. He smiled at her.

She took his ring and repeated the same words after the judge. She slid it onto his finger and caressed it gently before lifting her eyes to his again. He smiled at her.

"By the authority invested by me by the State of California, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride." The judge grinned at them.

Don reached forward and pulled her to him. He kissed her deeply and caressed her neck as the other four cheered behind them. Don pulled back and grinned at her.

"I now present to the four of you here Mr. and Dr. Don Eppes."

She led them to fill out the marriage license and then the six people grinned at each other. It was a great day for both families. Alan hugged his new daughter-in-law. Charlie hugged Espa and welcomed her to their family.

They ate dinner together again and there was much celebration, teasing, toasts, and fun among the six people there. Don and Espa sneaked away about ten to go have their wedding night at home. It was a wonderful night of wonder talk intermingled with lovemaking.

Three days later Don was at home after work. He was thinking about something Nareen Kafaji had said. Espa was in her normal spot on the floor between his legs as they watched a hockey game on the Eppes' family big screen. For some reason it was comfortable. Alan had stopped arguing with her a month ago. Gretchen was sleeping on her lap.

Don and Espa were often around the home. It was a comfort zone for them both.

Life for the Eppes' was pretty much the same only Don and Espa had rings on their fingers. Life really had not changed. Don, however, was a little more protective and coddlely than Espa liked. Alan wanted to be, she could see it in his eyes, but he knew women found that annoying at times, no doubt from his own wife's pregnancies.

Lupe and Ysidro had returned home to Idaho, but they would return in about six weeks for the reception that Alan was holding for Don and Espa at the family home.

Espa was watching the game and drinking a can of sprite.

Alan came in with nachos for them. "What happened?"

Espa looked up startled as well. She had dozed off against Don's leg. She looked up at the food before her face with a grin as Alan set it down.

"Huh? Oh. Uh, I don't know." Don said taking a sip of his beer.

"What do you mean you don't know? You're sitting right here." Alan said nodding to the game. "Espa?" He asked his new daughter-in-law.

She rubbed her eyes. "Sorry…I dozed off."

"You are allowed to." Alan said gently.

"Dad, those look good." Don said looking at the nachos hungrily.

"Yeah, well, next time, you're the cook." Alan said

"Well, that's not a good idea, you know that." Don said. He looked at his wife as she picked up a chip loaded with cheese. "Have Espa make it." Don put some on a napkin to eat as he took back his beer.

"Espa is pregnant and deserves to have us wait in her not her on us." Alan said.

Espa smirked into her chip.

"What are you two moping around here all night? What's going on?" Alan asked.

"What do you want from me?" Don asked biting into a chip. "Leave us alone. We're watching the game with family." He said sounding like a scolded teenager.

"All of a sudden you're interested in the game?" Alan asked.

Espa looked up. "I can't hear." She said her hand on her belly as she grabbed some more food. Alan seemed very much to want her around. In her belly was his grandchild and Don had done his duty for now. That was the only reason he did not send his son home to try for a kid.

"Hey, Don, Espa, what's happening." Charlie said looking at them through a hole in wall as he came down the staircase.

"Hey, chuck." Don said.

"Charlie!" Espa smiled.

"Where's Susan?" Don asked.

Charlie sighed and shot a glance at Espa who gave him a smile. "She flew back to England a couple of days ago."

"You know, if I were you, I'd make up some excuse to go see her, because, well, that girl was worth pursuing." Alan said with a smile.

Espa rolled her eyes at the banter between the Eppes men. It would take them a while to remember at those times there was a new member in the household and she was female.

Charlie picked up a chip. "You know what? I don't want her to get the wrong idea, you know." He said biting into the chip.

"What do you mean? What's the wrong idea?" Don asked taking a sip of his beer.

Charlie shrugged. "I'm really not that serious about her." He said bringing over a chair to sit in.

Alan laughed. "I'm sorry. What the hell does it take for you to be interested? Amita is beautiful, this girl's a stunned. What do you need?"

"I think he just wants to be the cutest in bed." Don smirked over at him.

"Shut up." Charlie hissed as he took another bit.

Espa looked up at Don. "Boys…" She hissed.

Don was not done yet. "You got a neuroscientist with a body like that…"

Espa pressed her nails into his calf. He gasped and looked down at her. She shook her head a little in warning. He smiled and took a drink of his beer and nodded at her. He would stop for now. He cupped the back of her head and caressed her hair as she leaned against his thigh again.

"Who's winning?" Charlie asked.

"I don't know. Apparently, not us." Don said.

Espa looked up at him and he gave her a lopsided grin.

"Well, at least you two aren't." He said making a recovering.

She rolled her eyes.

"Speak for yourself." Alan said. "I've got a date tomorrow night."

"Oh really?" Espa asked

Don took a drink of his beer. "Oh yeah? With who?"

"With whom." Alan corrected looking back at his son.

Espa giggled.

"All right, with whom?" Don asked making a face.

"I'm not saying." Alan said

"The caterer." Espa said with a grin.

"I'm not saying." Alan repeated.

Don and Espa laughed at that.

"I don't want to jinx it." Alan said. "You two have the worst luck when it comes to the opposite sex. I'm not gonna jinx it."

"Hey, I resent that." Don said. "Which one of the three of us is married?" He said as he caressed his wife's hair messing it up. She looked up and glared playfully. "Besides I never had bad luck."

"You were on a pretty bad losing streak until you met Espa." Charlie said.

"What do you mean, Charlie? Look at you." Don said. "You are not even dating and I married a girl."

"Me? I got them coming out of the woodwork." Charlie said with his mouth full of nachos.

"Listen, all I wanna know is when do I get grandchild?" Alan asked. He looked down at Espa and smiled. "I mean Don at least has a girl with a baby on the way."

"In a few months Dad." Don said. "Leave me alone. You try and doing my job and try to keep a home life and a relationship with someone. I admire Espa a lot for putting up with it all."

"Me too." Alan said.

"Go ahead and try it Charlie." Don said.

"Oh, woe…woe is Don." Charlie said

"Poor Don." Alan said.

"Boys…the game." She said looking up getting annoyed at not being able to watch the game because of their harassment.

"Right…sorry." Alan said.

They all chuckled.


	7. Guns and Roses

**Guns and Roses**

738,000

Law Enforcement Officers

54,000

Domestic Disputes

400

Suicides

1

JOB

Dr. Esperanza Urriolabetia - Eppes smiled as she lay on a hospital bed. Her lower half was wrapped with a medical towel about her naked form. She smiled at the rather nervous looking Don Eppes before her. He had taken to pacing the room waiting for the doctor to come in to see his lover and mother of his coming child. He removed the jacket to his suit and put his hands on his hips as he started to pace again.

He had only been this nervous a couple of times in his life. He sighed. Most of which had to do with Espa. Finding out she would have him back, asking her father to marry her, telling his Dad about the baby, dealing with Lupe, and now this…

"I do not think I have ever seen you so nervous Agent Eppes." She smiled at him as he turned. "Take it easy. You are making me nervous."

"Sorry." He said pausing to look at her.

"It is routine." She smiled at him. "You will like Sarah."

He sighed and run his hand over his face before he walked to her and took her hand. He kissed it and sat down in the chair beside her. He did not relax, but he smiled at her, his front so he would not worry her anymore than she already was. Give him any sort of case right now, gun to his head, it was far less stressful than being here. Charlie had gone to the first two appointments with her, but today he had promised and he had come. HE wondered how Charlie had dealt with it.

The door opened to reveal a female doctor who looked the same age as Esperanza if not younger. Don had jumped up and he eyed her. "Are you the nurse?" He asked. "Is the doctor coming?"

"No I am Doctor Sarah Richards." She held out her hand. He took it, but kept eyeing her as though she were a suspect in an investigation of his.

"You are a medical doctor?" Don asked.

"Yes." She smiled at him. "Is this the husband?" She asked Espa as she sat up more and Dr. Richards started to touch her.

"Yes." Don said at the same time as she said 'yes'. She looked at him and he smiled a little before looking back at the confused doctor.

Espa could only smile. "Don Eppes…Dr. Sarah."

"Hi…" Sarah smiled.

"Hi." Don said.

"Well according to my calculations you should be about twenty weeks correct." Dr. Sarah said getting down to business.

"About that…" Espa said lying back. "Yeah."

Don went to her side. "How man births have you had?" He asked.

"He is not sure of me Espa." Sarah laughed a bit. "Most first time fathers are not because of how young I look."

"She has been my OB-GYN for two years, Don." Espa smiled

"Years? Your pardon, but you look about twenty-five." Don said eyeing her as he held Espa's hand.

"Six hundred and twelve not including my one earlier today." She smiled at him as Espa spread her legs so she could feel up in her. "Cervix is good. By the way I am thirty-seven."

Don visibly relax. "Sorry for my lack of faith Dr. Richards." He said craning his neck to see what the woman was doing, but he could not see because of the cloth. He was not sure he wanted to know. Besides he was having issues with the fact this woman was older than he was, but looked ten years younger.

"You are a man who suspects everyone. Why should you or would you trust someone new who is caring for your wife and baby. I understand Don…really." Sarah smiled. She looked up from Espa's legs.

"Thanks." Don said. He kissed Espa's hand and smiled at her.

Sarah pulled up a machine. "Okay Esperanza. I think we are going to do vaginal today to get a better picture and listen to the heart."

"Vaginal? What? Heartbeat? You can hear it so soon?" Don looked at the doctor.

"Yes. You can start to about week twelve." She smiled cheerfully at the stunned father to be. "Actually she will feel it quicken soon. In a matter of a few weeks. You will be able to feel it in about two weeks to a month or so."

"Really?" He asked. "Wow…"

She nodded and pressed a small thing to Espa's belly where she had drawn down the blanket to reveal her slightly swollen belly.

Sarah was listening to it and then smiled. "Sounds good." She said and turned the instrument from headphone to audio.

Don jumped hearing the strange noise. He looked about and then down at Sarah's hand. He then looked up at Espa who smiled at him. "Oh my God…is that…"

"Yep…that is the heartbeat." Sarah nodded.

"So fast." Don said shutting his eyes to listen to the sound of the life in her. He pressed his hand to her belly as well and then smiled at her. "I do not think I have ever heard something so beautiful."

Sarah let the new parents savor the moment before she took it away and reached for another instrument attached to a screen.

She held a wand and put some KY jelly on it.

Don looked at her. "Wait you are putting that…in…why can't you do the…thing with the belly…"

"This gets a better picture. Don't worry, sir. It doesn't hurt and you are no doubt larger anyway." She said and Don blushed, a little stunned at that.

"Wow Donnie…I did not know you blushed." Espa teased him softly. He smiled at her a little nervously.

"I do sometimes…" He chuckled. "Not often."

"No, not my big agent. You are a man…" Espa said in a fake manly voice.

Sarah looked up and chuckled. "He is a federal agent?"

"Yeah I work for the FBI." He said watching the doctor closely.

"Figured you were law enforcement with a gun on your hip." She said looking up at him.

"I can show you my ID if you are nervous about it being here…" He said reaching for it

"No it is fine…really." Sarah said

Don looked at Espa who smiled at him as the doctor pressed the small instrument up into her gently. She held Don's eyes as she winced a little. "Actually is kinda like a…"

"All right…" Don said hushing her as he blushed more. He took a kiss from her and Sarah nodded to the screen to the side of them.

"Lets see…" She smiled and moved it a little. Espa winced a little at the strange feeling. Don looked at her in concern, but she smiled and looked at the monitor. "Well…looks good." She nodded. "Do you want to know?" She asked looking at them.

"Know what? I don't even know what I am looking at…" Don said as he cocked his head to the side. "I mean, I know that is a picture from inside her body, but…where is...the kid?"

"Well, that is a leg. That is an arm. That is part of the torso…" She said indicating with her pen on the screen. She chuckled as the image moved a little. "The heart is there…see it beating." She froze it a moment. "A foot…"

"She wants to know if we want to know what we are having Don." Espa said.

"You can tell that now?" He asked startled.

"Yep. I can tell right now because of the show right now." Sarah said and froze another image.

Don blinked and looked at her. He shrugged and then looked back at the screen. "I don't know…I would…but only if…Do you Espa?" He asked looking at her searching her eyes after a moment of focusing on the screen before him across Espa's body. He kissed her hand and watched her a soft smile on his lips. He was leaving this up to her.

She took a breath. "Dad would like to know." She said taking a breath.

"Forget about dad and Charlie for a moment Espa. Do you want to know?" Don said.

She took a slow breath looking up at him. "Yeah…I wanna know."

"K.." He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. He looked up. "I guess we want to know." He said with a loop sided grin.

"Well, the sex is determined by the father." Sarah said looking at him.

"So I get the blame?" Don asked. "I am getting blamed enough…" He smiled even as he sounded affronted.

"Something like that." Sarah smiled. "Well, if you see here…" She nodded to the still of the fetus with the legs opened a bit. "See something or a lack of something…"

"There is no penis." Don said smiling a little.

"What…how can you tell? Are you sure?" Espa asked looking at the screen.

"Yeah, he has it right Espa." Sarah nodded. She held up a printed still of a boy. "See the little wee-wee here. It is lacking on your baby." She chuckled. "You two are the proud parents of a…" She typed it on the picture. "Girl…"

Don smiled and chuckled happily as he took Espa's face in his hands and kissed her deeply. "I love you. You gave me a baby…and a baby girl no less." He said softly as he pressed his forehead against hers. And this child was going to be the most protected, sheltered and loved daughter the world would ever know.

"I love you, too, Don…I am so happy." She said. She had tears in her eyes.

He smiled and wiped the tears with her his thumbs as he looked at her. He kissed her again and then nodded at the doctor. "Thank you Dr. Sarah." He said.

The doctor removed her gloves and eased Espa's legs down and smiled at her. She patted her knee under the blanket. "I printed baby pictures for you at the front. See ya in two weeks Espa. Nice to meet you Don." She smiled and took his offered hand and then walked out to allow the two parents to absorb the information.

Don looked up at Espa as he helped her down so she could start to dress. He smiled as she went behind the curtain. "You know you have nothing of you I have not seen." He teased gently.

She laughed at that shaking her head.

She peeked out and met his smirk as he sat on a chair by the doctor desk looking at her. "You know you are beautiful." He smiled again his eyes dancing. "Come here."

She came out in her panties holding her pants in her arms. Her shirt was down, but only came to her lower abdomen giving him a good view of the white with petals panties.

"Come here beautiful." He said softly again beckoning to her. She sighed and came to him as he spread his long legs a little as he gently pressed her between them until she stood between his thighs. His hands caressed the small of her back as he looked up at her. Seated he was not that much shorter than she.

He smiled and let his hands wonder higher up her back. "I love you so much. Thank you so much for my little girl." He smiled as a hand came to touch her belly reverently. "Wow…I got to hear the heartbeat…it is suddenly so real." He smiled up at her his eyes dark with emotion.

The same emotion was mirrored in her own misted eyes. She smiled and kissed his brow. "I love you Don."

He bent forward and kissed the soft swell that contained his child in her womb. "Hello angel." He said to her belly before he released her so she could finish dressing. He watched. Even now with the loose clothing she could hide her pregnancy from people. She did not really show for being five months along.

As she was hooking on her belt Don got a call on his cell. She looked up and sighed. He did as well as he composed himself and flipped it open. "Eppes." He took a breath… "Yeah…Okay…" He nodded looking about the room as he paced a little again. "All right I will be there as soon as I can." He hung up and looked at Espa who was now fully dressed looking at him. "I will be home for dinner I hope." He said softly.

"I thought we were going to lunch to talk." She said.

"Honey, I can't. It is work…" His eyes told him it was more than work.

"When we are both there." She said as he opened the door for her. He was always a gentleman to her even at the worst of times.

Now he was happy, but he was an FBI agent and had work to do. She wife understood that. He smiled and kissed her mouth gently. "Be safe. I will see you soon." She had seen the joy in his eyes, but now they looked haunted.

"What happened?" She asked grateful he had been able to come and share in the moment with her even if it had been a moment.

"I…A friend…a friend is dead." He said softly. He sighed. "We'll talk later sweetheart. Love you." He stole a quick kiss before he left putting on his sun glasses as he walked to his car.

Espa saw that he was very distracted by something. The news had affected him deeply. What was going on?

Espa watched him go from the receptionist desk. She picked up the pictures and smiled. "Thank you." She said gently.

Doctor Sarah looked at him. "He is a sweet man. He is nervous. He will be good though…" She smiled at Espa as she left. "Have a good day."

"You too…see ya." Espa chuckled.

Don had driven to the crime scene of ATF Agent Nikki Davis. She had killed herself in her home about two hours ago. He had looked down at her and then told ATF that the FBI was going to take the case.

He returned home and found Espa making meat pies for him to eat for breakfast in the morning. He smiled as he looked at their sleeping 'child', Gretchen, on the floor, one eye open waiting for scraps to fall to she could get them.

He sighed. He liked being taken care of by a woman. It was strangely relaxing besides the worry he had for her and his coming baby.

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms about her middle. "You know you should be resting." He said kissing her cheek.

"I am making you food. Normally, you are happy about that." She said teasing him.

"Oh, I am happy about that. I just…I just don't want you to get over tired is all."

"I'm pregnant Don, not an invalid." She said turning in his arms. He smiled feeling the round bump press against him.

"I know, sorry."

He sighed and let her go and walked to the breakfast nook and sat down. He held his face in his hands a moment as he though. Espa knew that look. Something was bugging him.

She walked over. "Hey." She caressed his neck. "You all right?"

"Yeah." He looked up and saw her eyes that shot strait through his soul and guard. Espa could read his heart better than anyone. It was a good and a bad thing at times. "No." He said shaking his head with a sigh.

She sat down on the chair next to him and cocked her head. He looked at her. The camisole she wore did nothing to hide the baby bump now.

He took a breath. "Nikki Davis. She is the third agent in two years to suicide. I knew her Espa. I do not think she would do this." He sighed and shook his head.

"How long have you known her?"

"We dated in New Mexico." He said. "We lost contact when I moved here."

"Just dated?"

He looked up at her sharply. She blinked at him innocently, but he was not fooled. She had been trying to piece together his sex life history for months now.

"No…we slept together too, if that is what you want to know."

"And you do not think she would have killed herself?"

"No." He said. She nodded. He seemed very sure. She knew he knew people well.

She got up to get the meat pies out of the oven as the buzzer went off.

"Nikki may have been ATF, but I want her treated like one of our own." Don said as he gathered his team for the morning. Colby was not in yet. "Our responsibility is to clear the death of any federal officer, right?"

"You're not handing this over?" Megan asked

"No." Don said firmly. "How we doing on ballistics?"

"Single round, matches her duty weapon, a Sig Sauer 229." David said.

"Tox screen?" Don asked removing his suit jacket and putting it on his chair.

"Uh, OxyContin and Prozac." Megan said reading the file.

"Prozac?" Don asked.

"Yeah. It's not that unusual for a suicide victim." Megan said.

"Any word on the husband?" Don asked as he rolled up his sleeves.

"He's an ATF agent." David said as Megan gave him the ME report.

"What?" Don asked looking up a second.

"Works fugitive gun runners. On his way back from Texas as we speak." David said.

"Well, I want him interviewed as soon as he lands, right." Don said.

Megan and David looked at each other. David shrugged. Megan moved to follow Don.

Espa was in the break room drink a cup of tea as her husband walked in to get himself a cup of coffee. He smiled a little at her sitting there. "Hey, sweetheart." He said taking a breath.

"Hey." She smiled. She had a plate across her knees covered in foil. "I thought you all could you use a snack."

"Oh? You bringing my meat pies to share with the team now?" He asked. He had had two for breakfast.

"No, Butterfinger cookies." She smiled. "Besides. I owe them for their kind words even though he surprised them by dropping or marriage on them."

"Megan suspected." He said. He saw Megan out of the corner of his eye. "Speak of the devil." He whispered and went to the coffee pot as she set down the cookies and opened the package to eat one.

"So, I'm just wondering, if this woman's death was a suicide why all the intensity?" Megan asked nodding as Espa as she came to stand near Don as he dressed up his coffee with cream and Splenda.

"She's the third agent in…in two years to have killed themselves." Don said not looking at her.

"So, strictly professional?" Megan asked.

Both women could see Don avoiding looking at her to give away how he felt. Espa and Megan also saw the defensive set to his stance. Megan shot Espa a glance and then leaned against the counter.

"You knew her didn't you?" Megan said. "It does say 'behaviorist' on my job description." She told him again trying to guilt him into talking.

Don took a breath and looked at her. "Yes, I knew her." He said finally.

"Well, if you ever want to talk, you know where I am." Megan said moving to the door. She nodded to Espa and took a cookie.

"Thanks." Don said softly after her.

"Take care of your husband." She whispered to her.

Espa smiled a little. When Don wanted to clam up about his inner feelings he could with ease and he would not release information easily kind of like an oyster letting go of it's pearl voluntarily.

"I'm going to head over to the ATF and interview her whole team now." Megan said. She looked up and saw Charlie coming in to see Don. Espa had gotten up and gently touched her husband's shoulder.

He looked at her and offered a smile, but his look told her he did not really want to talk about this now. She nodded and stepped back to take another cookie.

"Hey." Charlie said.

"Hi, Charlie. Take care of your brother in there." Megan said.

Don turned and met her gaze, giving her a look. She smiled and left. Don could only sigh and shake his head.

Espa smirked. Don looked at her and shook his head at her. "Hi, Charlie." She said.

"Hey." Charlie greeted his sister-in-law. "What was that about?"

"Nothing." Don said in the most unconvincing tone Espa had ever heard out of him. At a cough from Espa he took a breath and sighed. "Looks like a…an ATF agent, who I knew pretty well, killed herself, that's all."

"Oh. I'm really sorry." Charlie said walking to him.

"Yeah. Don you remember that kid who, uh, jumped off the bridge last year?" Don asked.

"Yeah. Finn Montgomery." Charlie said.

Espa leaned forward to listen.

"Well, i..it looked like a suicide, but you didn't think so, right?"

"Right. I didn't think he was capable of it." Charlie nodded.

"And why?"

"His potential was unlimited. Good more than outweighed the bad." He met his older brother's gaze. "But I was wrong."

"Well, do me a favor, take a look at this file." Don said reaching for it. Espa moved the cookies off it so he could give it to his brother. "Just tell me if there's something that doesn't add up, would you?"

"Sure." Charlie said.

Don went to Espa and kissed her cheek. "I will call if I can do lunch all right?" He took a cookie. "Thank you for these."

She cupped his face to make him look at her as he turned away. She smiled and caressed his cheek with her thumb. "Hey, I love you. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

He smiled and leaned against her hand. "Yeah, I know."

She nodded. "I have to go teach a class. I will see you soon. I love you."

"I love you too." He said. He held his coffee and cookie in one hand and touched her belly. "I love you both." She smiled and left the FBI building.

Charlie ran the numbers for Don. It showed that all the good things in her life should have helped her cope with Depression and kept her from committing suicide. He went to tell Don the results.

Don was talking to Megan when he came. Megan was almost convinced it was a suicide. David brought something they could use as cause. Nikki's husband was not on the flight from Texas. He also had phone logs.

Nikki Davis had tried to call Don a couple hours before she had died.

Don was stunned. He sat at his desk and just shook his head. He had not heard from her in years and then she called him.

She had left no voicemail.

Her husband had been running down to Mexico. He also had been in debt. Something was not adding up and Don knew it.

Don was confused by the whole affair. He after became more introverted the more something truly mattered to him.

Don was not able to make it to lunch, but Charlie found his sister-in-law walking on the quad talking to two students. He smiled and asked is she wanted to go to lunch with him. The girls made a quick exit, but not before giving Charlie looks. She smiled and told him she was going for the free potato bar on campus. He grinned and went with her.

After loading their potatoes the walked out to the quad and sat down in the shade to eat. Espa dove into hers ravenously.

Charlie smiled. "You are really hungry?"

"Hey, what do you want from me? I am eating for two." She said.

He laughed. "I guess that is true."

Amita joined them. Espa grinned. "Hey, Amita."

"Hi. I am not interrupting am I?" Amita asked.

"No." Espa said.

He sighed and looked up. "I worry about Don."

Espa looked at him. "How so?"

"Where his work takes him, how's he ever gonna have a good relationship. I mean he married you Espa, but how is he ever going to make it work?"

Espa and Amita shared a look before Espa looked at her brother-in-law. "WE will make it work Charlie." Espa said. "And it isn't like I do not worry for him. Besides he does really well balancing me and the job. There are days when he can't come home. I understand that. If I didn't I would not have married him."

Amita eyed him.

"What?" Charlie asked her

"Nothing." Amita said. "It's just, I mean, we both know that you're not exactly the most successful man in the world when it comes to maintaining a personal relationship."

"Different." Charlie said.

"Different how?" Espa asked as she finished.

"Don made his work his life." Amita said. "He is just now allowing someone else in."

"Yes, exactly. So have you Charlie." Espa said.

"What's even worse is you've made his work your life." Amita said.

"Look who's talking." Charlie said playfully.

Amita sighed and shook her head. She got up and walked off.

Espa looked at Charlie. "That could have gone better. No wonder why you two can not date."

"Espa…it is complicated."

"How complicated? My life is complicated with Don. That spices it up and makes it interesting."

"That is so not fair comparing Amita and I to you an Don."

"Isn't it? At least you do not get shot at my dear brother."

"Well, that is true, but…"

"But nothing. You need to catch that girl before she decides she is tired of trying o win you." Espa said getting up a little awkwardly. "Like you told Don. I mean you do not want to be a pot calling the kettle black, do you?" She said and stretched before she walked away a smile on her face.

Don went back to the crime scene. He ran into the husband there and got some shocking news and a huge guilt trip.

He returned to the office to meet with his team. He had called Espa to meet him about five at the Eppes home so he could talk and relax away from work. Her ear was always open and he knew it.

He arrived at the Eppes home a little early, but he spotted Epsa hybrid car on the street. He smiled. Espa always ran a few minutes before everyone else.

He walked into the house and was greeted by Gretchen yapping at him. He dropped down with a slight smile. Gretchen was the best alarm system known to man. He lifted her up and all at once she squirmed about trying to lick his face to greet him.

He held her down and away from his face so she settled for his hand and wagged her tail as she aggressively licked it. He took a breath and then put her down and went to the table to write down some things.

Espa came out from the kitchen and saw him. "Hello Don."

"Hi." He said softly looking at her.

"I was waiting until you got home to show Dad the pictures."

"The pictures?" He asked.

She lifted up the ultra sound pictures. Don smiled as he looked at them. "Ah…baby pictures."

She sat down as he looked down again. She took his left hand and held it. "I know this case is getting to you, Don. You can tell me."

He sighed. "I know I can. It's just…"

"It's just you have been a bachelor long enough it is different having someone to share everything with. I know, Don." She said setting the pictures down

"I love you for that." He said and looked back at a picture in his hand.

"Oh, she was pretty." She said.

"How would you know?" He asked her.

"Women can tell such things. I can tell, husband. I am not blind. I can see why you dated and had her."

His eyes snapped up at her, but her face was playful. She was trying to lighten the mood and it was not working. He had too much information to process.

She saw that in his eyes and her face dropped a little. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Water…but I can…"

"Don, don't coddle me." She hissed at him. She then smiled. "I will be back."

She returned in a few moments followed by Alan. Don was still looking at the picture.

"She's cute." Alan said as Espa took a seat to Don's right. Alan chuckled. "Not as cute as my daughter-in-law, but…" Don looked back at him. "When was this taken?"

"New Mexico." Don said turning back. His voice was soft.

"Why is it whenever I see an old photo of myself I look totally different and you look absolutely the same?" Alan asked leaning on the side of Don's chair. "I mean, we…we have the same genes, don't we? I don't understand it."

"Yeah, well. She's dead." Don said with a sigh.

Espa leaned and touched the hand that held the picture.

"She's dead?" Alan asked surprised. He looked at Espa who nodded.

"Apparently a suicide." Don said.

"Oh." Alan said. "I'm sorry." He said as he sat down across from Espa.

Don let the photo drop to the table and let his hand rest in Espa's. Though his were bigger her touch comforted him.

Don took a breath. "You know, she called me a few hours before." He inhaled sharply trying to rein in his emotions.

"Is that why you are like this? Are you feeling guilty?" Espa asked him her hand clenching in concern on his hand.

"Why would she call you?" Alan asked.

Don sighed and leaned back in his chair. He rubbed his head with his free hand. "I don't know."

Alan picked up the picture. "Is there anything I can do?"

Don met his father's gaze steadily a moment before he looked at Espa. His look was that of many emotions that were threatening to spill out. "She had cancer." He finally whispered.

"Cancer?" Alan said. "I see."

Espa knew that was why it was bugging him so deeply now. Yet another woman he had known that died with cancer in her body. His mother had died just a while ago from cancer and it was clear that Don had not worked totally through that either. That would be another night time pillow talk conversation between lovers. She caressed his hand a little more.

"You know, it's just, I have a hard time getting my head around the fact that she couldn't find some other way to…" Don sighed and shook his head looking at his wife's face. Concern, love, and compassion were there. He knew then that was why he had chosen to be her mate until dead did them part. She helped him.

"Yeah, I know." Alan said.

"Yeah, I guess you would, right." Don said.

Espa looked at the two Eppes men and swallowed suddenly feeling a little out of place.

"Did you and Mom ever talk about what would happen…" Don asked looking at his father.

Alan looked at him and shook his head. "I never wanted to. I guess we were luck it never came to that, but…" He sighed. "I mean, if she had chosen to, I would have understood. And I never would have blamed myself." He said pointedly.

Espa nodded looking at her husband as he looked away from his father to look at her. He moved and clasped her hand in his. His family kept his sanity and his wife's love was a life raft in the sea of the world's problems he had to help solve. He offered her a soft smile.

"You understand what I just said?" Alan asked his son.

Don nodded looking down. "Yeah."

"Do you?" Alan asked.

Don sighed feeling very awkward. He smiled at his wife a little and the looked at his watch. "I got to go." He said. He stood up. He went to Espa and kissed her deeply. "Thank you." He whispered to her as he brushed back her hair.

He then clapped his dad's shoulder after he had gathered his things and started for his car. "See you later Pop."

"Yeah, all right." Alan looked at Espa who looked after Don. She then met his gaze and nodded. "He will be, okay Alan." She said. "He just needs to work through it."

Alan nodded. Espa was wiser than her twenty-eight years let on. It still amazed him at times that his seven year junior to his elder son, daughter-in-law could often be more mature in her feelings and how to deal with them.

She coughed and then lifted up the ultra sounds. "Wanna see your grandbaby?"

"Of course." He took the pictures. "Oh, my God." He said his breath catching as he looked at the picture of the life she carried in her womb. "Espa…" He reached for her hand and squeezed it. "A girl…She's beautiful." He whispered with tears in his eyes. "What are you going to call her?"

"I have no idea. One of the many things Don and I need to talk about." She smiled at the happiness on his face. She stood up and went behind him to hug him. "She is beautiful isn't she…"

"She didn't get that from our side." He said.

She slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "Oh?"

"If it was a boy I would say the looks came from my side. A girl clearly favors the mother in several respects." He said. He reached behind him and then froze a few inches from her. His eyes looked up asking to touch her.

She smiled and took his hand. "Of course you can Alan." She pressed it to her so his large hand somewhat cupped the swell. Espa smiled as she felt it move. Then she saw Alan's face and realized he had felt it as well. She had happy tears in her eyes as his spilled over.

"Oh, my, Espa. She's kicking me…" He gasped.

Espa nodded and laughed. "Well, grandpa she is yet to do that for her father."

"I am honored." He said and grinned through his tears at her. This woman was carrying his grandchild and it was very much alive within her. They hugged each other as they both turned into a blubbering mess.

Don went to the office. Charlie, David, and Larry had done an experiment and found something was odd. Charlie brought the information back to his brother. The missing thing was not a thing at all, but a person. Someone else had been in the room when Nikki died. The echoing waves on the recorded radios proved it.

Don was startled by that revelation.

He ordered the look over everything again. Then Charlie noted about the DNA samples. They could use those to get a look at the origin at least of the people who had been in her house. It could at least help in his eyes.

The samples run had no matches, but Don allowed Charlie to pursue it and work with Cal-Sci's DNA Database. Anything to try and get this case solved. He now had enough to rule Nikki Davis's death a homicide not a suicide.

Megan and David found out she had someone giving her information on a motorbike gang. They were at a potential robbery, but did not do it. Perhaps the informant was playing both sides.

Don took a breath as he sat with Espa. She had brought him lunch. They were eating in an interrogation room for privacy and to allow them to get away from the war room.

"The pieces are starting to fall into place." He said. "I know she was not a suicide now. That is a good thing." He smiled at her. "So I was thinking we should do something together that kinda has to do with work."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I want you to get a handgun and a permit for you for protection. You know, when I am not there."

She smiled at him. He wondered if she was going to rebel against the idea. She chuckled then and sighed. "Don, I have a handgun."

"You do?" He asked. This was news to him. He had never seen one.

"Yes. I am from Idaho. I went hunting with my uncle. I mean having a gun there is like having religion. Ask Colby."

"How many guns do you have?"

"What type? Handgun? Shotgun? Or Rifle? Or my bow and arrows?"

He blinked at her. "You have all those?"

"Registered in my name? Yes. Here in California? No." She smiled. "I do have my two favorite handguns and my favorite bow here though."

"Oh? And what kinds are they?" He sat back. Lord, the more he was with her the more the facets of her personality came into play.

"A Walther P99 and a Jericho 941 F." She said.

"You have an Israeli military gun?"

"You have a Glock 22. What's the difference?"

"I am not a civilian." He pointed out. He cocked his head. She even knew what type of gun he had and he had never told her. Then he smiled and then he laughed. "So you went hunting with your uncles. What other guns do you have?"

"In Idaho I have my Glock 17. I also have three shotguns and six rifles."

He coughed. "You have an arsenal." He blinked. "How do you have all those?"

"My uncle has more." She shrugged.

"Well, do you still want to come?"

"Of course." She grinned. "I said I hunted. I rarely actually hit something. I went to be in the outdoors really and to bond with the grizzly-bear-personality of my uncle Joe." She smiled. "Make you a deal. You teach me to target shoot. I will teach you archery."

"It's a deal." He grinned and bent forward to kiss her before he rose to continue work.

Don went to talk to the Assistant US District Attorney. It was not going to be pleasant. Robin and he had dated just before Espa had come into the picture. She had left him unable to coop with his job keeping him away. He swallowed. He had left her in the middle of making out at her house to go see to the murders of nine people. Ironically, that was the case in which he had met his wife. He had not seen Robin since.

He knocked and she looked up. "Agent Eppes. Nice to see you."

He took a breath. She was as beautiful as he remembered, but he had only one woman to think about now…and bed. He came to her door. "Robin, I need a favor."

She looked up at him. "Really? Well, you could have just called. Oh, right, but I forgot apparently you don't know how to do that." She said her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"No, no, no, listen to me, it was a friend of mine okay." He looked at her. "A federal witness was in danger…five agents were killed and, uh...I mean, that's the only reason I took off."

"Wow, I feel really silly." She said realizing that it had been her folly that had ended their relationship not his.

"No, don't please." He said awkwardly.

"How can I help?" She asked.

"Well, I have a dead ATF agent I am investigating. She was working with an informant who was giving her intel a…about the Outlaw Renegades." He said.

"Yeah, I know them, our office has wiretaps on them."

"Well, I figure the warrants are based on those tips, and I need to know who it is." He said.

She shook her head. "Those wiretaps applications are sealed by court order."

"Look, the ATF isn't going to help me because I took the investigation away from them, so…"

"Well, it's not my case." He nodded clearly disappointed. She sighed and continued. "But I'll talk to the AUSA that's handling it, and see what I can find out."

"All right. I appreciate that." Don said.

"This woman was close to you?" She asked. Don swallowed and looked away from her. "You know what? I'm sorry, that is none of my business."

"It's all right. You know, I…I…I'll tell you about it." Don said as he rubbed a hand over his eyes.

She sighed and cocked her head looking at his hand. "A ring. So the rumors that you got married are true." She said. "Who is the lucky woman?" She asked.

Don sighed. "Her name is Esperanza." He smiled a little. "We're going to have a baby in a few months. A baby girl."

"Congratulations." She said. Mentally, she was counting back how many months it had been since they had been together. Not that long. Six months only. She wondered how Don had gone from player stud to married man with a baby on the way.

"Thanks. I will catch up with you." He said.

"All right. Well, you know where I work, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks." He said and left the room.

Don gathered David and Megan to go to the house of the informant about five in the afternoon when Robin had called him with information. They went to the house and found two cars in the driveway.

Worse they found the man who could talk to them dead in a bowl of his own cereal. Megan had made an even more gruesome discovery in the back. Nikki Davis's husband was dead in the pool, killed execution style.

This case was getting weirder and weirder.

Don then picked up Espa to go to get a quick meal and then go to the gun range. It was Friday night and not many people would be there, he knew.

She ate a salad and he munched down a Big Mac and fries. He looked at her. "I find it ironic that you eat healthier carrying a baby than I do. You are supposed to be eating more." He said.

She leaned over and smiled as she stole a French fry. "Better?" She asked.

He smirked and shook his head.

At the range they checked in and walked down to a stall half way down. She took her handgun out from her purse.

He looked at it and blinked. "Wow. That's a lot of gun." He smiled. "Going with the Walther, huh?"

"Gives me a chance to actually hit something."

He chuckled as she set it down on shelf. She pulled out a magazine and put it there as well. He handed her a pair of shooting glasses to match the ones on his own face as he loaded his own duty weapon. He put ear covers on her and then on his own as he looked down at the target.

"It is easy." He said a little loudly so she could hear him. "Just aim and shoot." He said and he fired three rounds into the center of the target. He took his next magazine and held it as he fired three more times.

He nodded. "Your turn. So far I am up by sixty points." He grinned as he changed the clip.

Espa shook her head as she switched off the safety off her Walther P99. She had already loaded and cocked it like someone who knew exactly what she was doing. That kind of alarmed him a bit.

She stood in an approved military stance with a supportive grip and fired off four rounds hitting the center in a small grouping. She looked up at him and half smiled. She then fired off the rest of her clip making a circle within a circle with her aim.

Don hit a button as she lowered the weapon and put on the safety. He pulled off the sheet to look at it. He realized then his wife was playing with him with her claim that she could not aim. She had hit two bullets into the guy's shoulder, but the first four were fatal shots to the guy's heart. Not only that, but she was a damn good marksmen. Nearly up there with himself. Just went to show that even pregnant she was a threat to anyone who wished her harm. Though it helped him relax a little, he would always worry for her safety.

She grinned pulling off her ear covers. "I believe that is one-hundred and ten to your sixty Agent Eppes." He just shook his head and sighed.

He shook his head and glared at her. "You do not need me to teach you anything minx. You are…"

"Having a good time, aren't you. Besides, it means I actually get to teach you something when we go to the archery range. Do you think other agents and their wives do this on a Friday night or do they have more sense and are banging each other."

He laughed. "Well, this is clearly where all the pretty girls come for a boring Friday night."

"Agent, I do not think I have ever been hit on in a gun range."

"Good." He said and smiled as he kissed her. "First one to five hundred?" He asked his eyes dancing at her.

"You're on." She giggled.

The next morning Don found it hard to love out from the tangle of limbs and bodies that they had somehow fallen asleep in after coming home the night before from their competition. He had wound up winning, but only by twenty points. He had to get her fired up more often. The results were fun. He extracted himself from under Espa. She only sighed and hardly moved as he laid her back onto the bed.

He got up and showered and dressed. Espa was on her belly when he came back into the bedroom pulling on a form fitting long sleeve shirt. He looked down at his feet at the piles of clothing that had been left there and down the hall in their hurry.

He looked back at his wife and wondered how she and the kid could stand her sleeping like that. As if she heard him she rolled over in her sleep. He smiled and knelt on the bed leaning over Gretchen to brushed Espa's long unruly hair back from her face. He bend and kissed her.

She woke just enough to smile and whisper. "Have a good morning." Before sacking out again.

He chuckled and went to work. The Outlaw Renegades had something to do with the murder of the Davis's and the informant. Don ordered surveillance on them to keep in eye out for the ring leader Roy Mitchell.

Charlie was still working on the DNA analysis.

Don got a call during dinner with Espa that they had just found Roy Mitchell. He drove to where David was waiting for him. They went in with FBI SWAT backing them to take down the three men in the house.

Mitchell ran as Don took down on accomplice and the SWAT got another with a shotgun. David used a taser to bring the man down as he tried to jump over the fence.

After Don and Robin interrogated the man. He was right in the fact there was nothing to really hold him. Don was frustrated and knew he could not just cut him loose to allow him to disappear again. Robin tried to calm him down.

Don finally went home to his wife. Espa was watching TV with Gretchen crewing a bone on Don's old shirt she loved to snuggle with. Don came in and sighed rubbing his face as he looked at his wife.

She looked up at him. "Hello." She said.

He came and dropped to the other side of her and removed his shoes and socks and stretched his long legs out. His feet rested on the table as he rolled his head back. Espa looked over at him.

"Long day?"

"Yeah. We busted a guy I know is involved, but we could not hold him. Nothing connects him to the crime other than my intuition."

He sighed and turned so she could rub his shoulder gently. The sure he wore was very good looking on him. She smiled and got up removing her shirt as she went to the bathroom.

He got up with a groan, got a beer, and settled back to watch the news.

When she came out of the bedroom wearing a cute top and PJ pants with her hair in pigtails he felt his blood heat. She looked so young and innocent.

He whistled a little. "Hello beautiful mother of my children." He said looking at her from where he sat on the couch.

She came over to him as he sipped from a beer. She took his free hand and kissed it before she pressed it into the band of her PJs. He smiled at her advance and clicked his tongue at her. She straddled his legs well aware then how much he was wanting her by his straining pants.

"Keep that up Mrs. Eppes and we may not get to the bedroom this time." He looked up at her. He touched her pigtails as she playfully moved against his hips again torturing him. He groaned a little.

"Tempting isn't it." She kissed him tasting the beer he was drinking as well as he own distinctive scent that filled her nostrils.

He set down the beer and caressed her back gently. "I love you." He said. "I really need to relax a little from work…"

She nodded and moved off of him. He helped smiling at her.

Lord, what a good wife she was. She knew him well enough that though they were delaying, it would still come.

She sat back watching the news with him on one side of the couch with pillows piled to help her get comfortable. The whole time she ate she kept giving glances at him. When all he did was smile over his beer she used her foot to send another message. She pressed it against his crotch.

He looked up at her startled. She smiled innocently into her mug of tea as her toes caressed the swell tactfully. When she was done he made a grab for her and pinned her against him. "Vixen." He murmured in her ear before he nibbled it.

They blew out the candles she had burning as they watched TV. Don knew they should wait to go to the bedroom for thirty minutes for the food to settle. She squirmed playfully against his body. He knew she could feel his eagerness for her.

After ten minutes Don could take it no more. He lifted her up against his hips. His hands were under her bottom with her legs wrapped about him as he carried her to the bedroom. There he slowly stripped her and then kissed her all over reverently as if he were worshipping her. He watched her as he made love to her. On the third round it was decadent. After the curled together a mass of body and limbs and slept deeply.

The alarm went off. Don got up and stretched a little. He looked at it. He slapped it off and sat up. Beside him was Esperanza Mariah…Eppes. He grinned. She was his wife now…his. All his. She was an Eppes now and had been for nearly a month. His hand went to her belly. He sighed. He could not wait to feel it move. He had heard the heartbeat and seen her. He was on top of the world then. It was sad he was investigating a brutal school shooting to quell the mood.

He leaned against the headboard with his arms folded behind his head as he smiled happily. His future was in the bed with him. Both of his ladies…

Espa stirred and he bent to kiss her shoulder. "Morning." She yawned

"Morning…Mrs. Eppes." He said and gave her a deep kiss. "You know if we hurry I can shower with you." She swatted him playfully. "After three rounds and my legs being sticky enough I intend to sleep another two hours."

"Oh course my dear. It is good for you." He said. He kissed her again and got up. She looked at his trim hips and tight buttocks. She licked her lips. Damn he was a good looking man.

He came out of the shower the same way he went in. Naked. She looked at him from where she was on the bed pretending to sleep, but secretly enjoying the show. Don noted she was curled around her belly. She had been last night as well and he had curved around her.

"Good luck today…"

"What?" He asked pausing as he pulled on a clean shirt.

"You see so much Donnie. I worry about you. So does your dad you know." She said sitting up with the sheet about her.

He looked at her. "It isn't easy, but you make it better." He said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"I have someone to come home to. Dad is right. It is a good feeling." He said looking at her as he sat down at the foot of the bed. He rubbed his face with his hands as two arms wrapped about him from behind.

"Don you have a lot of bad relationships in the past because you were scared. I know that. Trusting a woman is not easy and I thank you for trusting me." She said.

He looked at her surprised. "What?"

"It helps you relax and it helps me know what you are doing so I do not worry needlessly. I worry a lot for you husband. More because of what I do not know."

"Say it again." He smiled pulling her into his strong arms.

"What…more because I do…"

"No…the husband…" He smiled.

"Husband…" She said looking at him.

"Wife…" He smiled at her and kissed her. "You know it is good to have someone to come home too. It is different. I will have to get used to it. I am used to dealing with things on my own."

"I know. I am much the same way."

Suddenly he froze feeling something against his arm. She smiled and waited as he bent down a little and pressed his hand to her. He looked up at her in wonder. "Is that…?"

She nodded and smiled at him. "You dad was amazed too."

"She kicked him before she kicked her own father?" He asked a bit upset.

"It is a matter of timing. I have been feeling her for a couple weeks now."

He nodded and let it drop. He could hardly be anger than his own father felt the baby before him. Alan was with her more. "My God." He whispered. "What does she have in there a soccer ball?" He asked pressing down. "Doesn't it hurt?"

"Not right now. The doctor said it can later."

He took a moment to savor the feeling before the baby calmed and stopped. He looked up at her. "Thank you Espa. For our baby. For you being here for me…"

She pressed a finger to his lips. "Shhh…" She said with happy tears in her eyes.

"I got to go." He said looking at his watch.

She sighed. "Be safe."

"Always." He said and kissed her before rising to his feet to go. She watched him leave from the doorway after grabbing one of her small meat pies he loved that she made for breakfast. He waved and blew a kiss before going to work.

He was a new man. He found he liked it.

Don was in his office pacing. They had no one except Roy Mitchell and they did not have enough for him.

Charlie came in with representations of what some of the DNA people would look like. He removed the DNA left by hands. That left them three ethic people there.

David noticed that one had a striking similarity to Agent Rho, an ATF agent on Nikki Davis's team. A lead at last. Rho served in the military as a former Navy Seal and the report had said that the robbery crew had moved with military precision.

It was not Mitchell leading the group. He was a follower of Rho.

Megan had called and found out Rho was out in an disclosed location on a training drill. Don knew he was pulling a job.

The got a tip and drove out. Sure enough, there was a job going down. Don and his team were shot at, but were able to take down all the gunmen, including Rho with only one loss of life, and no injuries to them.

After the men were taken to the hospital and the paperwork had been filled out for the shooting Don went home for the day to be with Espa, drink a beer, see his brother and father, and come down from the adrenaline high he always got from shooting.

He had told Espa on the phone that he was running late because he of the shootout. He was safe and unharmed and he would tell her more when he got to his brother's home.

Espa sat at the table ideally drawing on a piece of paper. She was pale as she sat with Alan Eppes. She was nervous. She knew he was okay, but she still wondered and worried about him.

She had spent much of the afternoon cooking with Alan Eppes. Now she was restless with Gretchen sitting on her lap.

Alan loved her cooking. All she had to finish was the mashed potatoes. The gravy was simmering. He watched her fidgeting. "You alright Espa?"

She had not told him about Don being shot at. "Yeah…just waiting Alan…" She answered

She heard a car come into the driveway. Don came in the door a moment later with a case of beer in his hand followed by Charlie whose hair was a little more tussled than normal.

"Hey Don." Espa said standing up and moving to Don quicker than any of the men thought someone could move in her pregnancy state. Don gasped as she connected with him. He pressed her to him with his free arm about her thickening waist.

"Hello beautiful." He smiled and kissed her unashamed to before his brother and father despite his father's raised eyebrows. "Hey Dad." He said looking over her head as he brushed a kiss against her hair.

"Charlie…" Epsa greeted as she took the beer from Don so he could take off his jacket and relax.

Charlie smiled at her. "Hey Espa…"

"Wanna beer Chuck?" Don asked using the name his brother hated with a teasing grin.

"No, thanks…"

She took the case into the kitchen to the fridge and brought back one for her husband.

Don had flopped himself onto the couch. Espa put the beer in his hand and he smiled up at her. "Thanks sweetheart." She smiled and went to finish dinner flitting her hand at Alan Eppes as he moved to stop her.

"Do you know what it is?" Charlie asked suddenly coming out of is momentary shell. "I mean you went with her to the doctor."

"Oh that it." Don said. "Yeah, I know what IT, is." He grinned. "What do you want?" Don asked looking at him.

"Well statistically our family has more boys…" Charlie said.

Espa giggled as she came back into the room with a bowl of corn. "It is s fifty-fifty shot each kid Charlie."

"Yes, but there are factors to get wither a boy of a girl." Charlie said.

"Oh?" Alan asked as he sat Espa in a chair. "No more hard work young lady. I will not have you slave to the bone for my eldest brat of a son."

"Hey now…" Don said looking up as Gretchen bounced into his lap.

"I am getting the food." Alan said ginning happily.

"I can…." Espa said, but Alan pressed her back.

"You need rest momma." And he disappeared into the kitchen with a shake of his head.

"Well, it relates to stress and temperature…" Charlie said.

"You have no answered my question." Don said. "What do you want?"

"Either as long as Espa is good and it."

"Yeah like me…" Don grinned. "But I know what it is…"

"You this is just like high school. You teased me a lot about stuff I did not know…" He eyed Don.

"Boys." Espa said shaking her head.

Don looked up dually chastised by her tone and grinned sheepishly. "Hey, that looks good." He said getting up and putting Gretchen on the pillow on the couch.

"Oh yes…anything Espa makes it is amazing." Alan said on his second trip out with the duck.

Don sat down with his wife and squeezed her thigh under the table. She smiled at him as they began to serve the food to the men. Talk became small talk about things, but it was clear, both Don and Espa were thrilled to be husband and wife and soon-to-be parents and that Charlie and Alan were happy to have a woman in the house again. Especially a woman who could cook for them and liked to.

"Well?" Charlie asked as Don reached for a bowl.

"Well what?" Don asked spooning out mashed potatoes.

"Well…girl or boy."

Alan gave him the picture he had asked to keep. "See for yourself." He smiled.

Charlie looked at it and sighed. "I can't tell from this."

Don smirked and reached for it. "There are times when you surprise me Charlie for all your brilliance." He pointed. "Girl…right there." He smiled and then ducked as a roll came at his head. "Hey…" He barked and caught it. "Thanks." He laughed and bit into it grinning at his brother who glared at him.

"A granddaughter…" Alan sighed happily as he started to eat. Espa was well into her meal which made him grin. "I am truly happy. I now have hope again for Don."

"Thanks dad…" Don snorted.

"What?" Alan asked as he looked at the smiling Espa

"No really it was so cool. I got to hear its heart." Don said spreading his hands. "I have never heard such a thing…"

The family Eppes would soon have a new member and they all were content.


	8. Mind Games

**Mind Games**

1,952

Miles

275,000

Border Crossings

7,000,000

Aliens

6

Senses

An arrow flew the air and hit a target just outside the rings.

Don Eppes yelped. He looked at his wife over his sunglasses and then his arm. It was purple just above the thick piece of leather. He sighed and lifted it a little.

Esperanza Urriolabetia-Eppes laughed as she leaned against her long bow that she had not set yet. She watched her husband using her compound bow with its fifty pound draw. It was camouflaged in color and clearly a hunting bow. "Good. Now do that only look down the middle sight at the bull's eye."

Don looked at her as he stood in his FBI collared T-shirt and jeans. On his left arm he wore an arm guard. He sighed and took aim as he notched another practice shaft with feathering. He had a small piece of leather about his fingers to protect them.

"This time roll your arm out to keep the string from getting you." She said.

He aimed and fired again. This time he got inside the rings. He lowered the bow and looked at her. "This is harder than it looks." He said.

"You should try mine." She said as she stepped through over her bow and bent the wood backward to put the string on. She lifted it and tested it. She smiled and drew out three arrows from her quiver and three them into the ground at her feet points down.

Don looked at her. She was in a green shirt with a linen over dress that had no sleeves over it. On her arm was a guard that was strapped from above her elbow to her middle forearm of leather. It had a joint to move with her arm. With her hair wild as it was she looked all the world like Maid Marian. Though he knew Maid Marian could not outshoot Robin Hood as Espa was doing now to him.

She notched an orange feathered arrow as she held it at her waist. She lifted the long bow and attached a device she had about her right wrist. She pulled back with her full arm against the pressure of the draw and sighted. She used her index finger to release the trigger and the arrow sailed strait into the outer bull's eye. She sighed. "I am a little out of practice." She said shaking her head. "It has been about six months."

"What is that on your wrist?" He asked.

"A trigger." She said drawing back to launch another arrow. She let it fly and it landed in the center of the bull's eye.

"I am starting to see why you were a state champion." He said leaning on her composite bow.

"Are you getting bored?"

"Nay, milady. I am just watching your excellent form." He said and made a sweeping bow, which made her laugh so much she completely missed the target for her third shot. He laughed with her.

He heard his cell. It was a Saturday afternoon. Espa was free from work. He put a hand on her back to walk her to her car as she bent to pick up the bows and arrows. He lifted his phone from his side and flipped it open. "Eppes…yeah…I will be there." He said. He reached to help her as they started down the hill. A breeze blew her dress about her legs. The dress did nothing to hide her figure either. Not that he cared. His wife was glowing.

"You are not going to believe this. They have a psychic who found three dead girls in his visions."

"Do you believe all that?" She asked as he put the things into his car.

"I have seen it work for the FBI." He smiled as he opened the door for her. "I mean he is a suspect right now because of what he knows, but I mean, he may not be."

She looked at him skeptically and then looked back at the road as she fastened her seatbelt. "Well, I know Alison DuBois has done some good work for all sorts of agencies. To me though it is just as hard to explain as ghosts."

"You believe in ghosts?"

"Don't you? Have you never dreamed about your mother coming and then you feeling a lot better the next day?"

"No." He said.

"My mother and grandmother speak to me in my dreams." She said.

"There are days when you do weird me out Espa." He said starting the car. "But I am not saying it is not true, that either is not true. Just because one can not witness it themselves." He smiled.

She smiled. "You are going to need to ice your arm to keep the bruising down. I will show you more another time."

He nodded. The bruise only hurt when he flexed his elbow against itself anyway, but it did look worse than it was.

He dropped her off at their apartment before going into the office. The psychic's name was Samuel Kraft. He was interrogated by both Don and Megan. He offered his help to find the women, but at a price. Don was not willing to yield on that just yet.

Espa had come over just as the interview was over to pick up Charlie for lunch since Don had told her he was going to be busy investigating into the murders of three Latina girls who had been brutally cut into and left to rot.

Espa walked in with her visitor ID attached to her belt. She still wore her linen dress and t-shirt because they were cooler. On her feet were Tevas. She smiled as she walked to her husband who was talking to another agent.

"I understand. Just let me know as soon as you find out. All right? Thanks." Don nodded to Charlie as he came up. "Hey. So what do you think?" He asked clapping his shoulder lightly. He then saw Espa quietly waiting and smiled. "Hey, sweetheart."

She smiled and took his chaste kiss when he walked to her.

"He knew about the murders. He has to be involved somehow." Charlie said.

"Yeah, well, he maybe." Don said as the three walked together through the maze of desks.

"Don, this psychic stuff. You cannot take it seriously, okay?" Charlie said.

Don took a breath and looked at his wife who just shrugged. She was not going to say a word until they had finished the argument, or at least not yet.

"Whoa, Charlie, can you prove to me there's nothing to it?" Don asked. He watched his wife as she went and perched on his desk comfortably watching them.

"There is no scientific evidence for the existence of psychic ability, okay?"

Don shook his head a little. "Yeah."

"None whatsoever. I…It's make –believe." Charlie said insistently.

No, I don't know about that, actually." Don said. "I saw a guy randomly take someone from a group, come up with stuff about the guy's life that the person said that nobody would ever know about them, so…"

"It's an act man. They're guessing, okay?"

"Yeah, well…"

"They…they…Look, it's just like blindly throwing darts. Keep guessing is like throwing a lot of darts. You throw enough darts, you're gonna eventually hot a bull's eye."

"Yeah, but…" Don said trying to get a word in.

"So, look, that guy, he probably has such a deep desire to believe that he dismisses the misses and focuses on the hits." Charlie said. "It's called optimistic bias."

Espa sighed shaking her head. Once again the brothers were arguing in something neither one of them could really win.

"Charlie, this guy isn't just throwing darts." Don said. "I can tell you that right now."

:"Just…There's plenty of…of simple, more rational explanations to be considered."

Don looked up as Megan came to them and went to her desk.

"I got all of his information." Megan said. "I'll have…I'll have the agent that drops him off confiscate his passport."

"Wait, I thought you were dropping him off." Don said stopping her as she headed to go.

"I just got something I need to check out." Megan said in a hurry to go.

Don and Charlie watched her go.

Espa jumped up and looked at her husband and then her brother-in-law. "Well, I am starving. Come on, Charlie."

Don smiled and pressed his hand against her. "Yes, well you are eating for my little girl. Eat something more filling than salad, will you."

She sighed and nodded. He took a step to her and kissed her brow. "See you for dinner all right. Make sure he buys for you." He said eyeing his brother.

She shook her head and looped her arm through Charlie's as they headed to the elevator. Charlie hit the button as they waited.

Samuel Kraft came and pushed the button looking up at the numbers to where the car was. Charlie looked over and his eyes glared at him. Espa knew instantly that this was the psychic in question.

"Something wrong?" Kraft asked.

"Sorry." Charlie said. "I didn't mean to stare at you."

"You were there, watching the questioning, weren't you?" Kraft said.

"I am not impressed I am sorry." Charlie said. "You could have easily seen me there."

"You don't believe at all in what I do." Kraft said turning away. "Do you?"

Charlie looked up at him as he turned back. "Honestly, no. And that's not to say that you don't believe what you do. I am sure there are a lot of so-called psychics that are absolutely convinced that they have an ability."

"But you are convinced they don't because it's not logical." Kraft said. "Because you haven't see proof."

"That's right." Charlie said nodding.

Kraft looked to Espa. "Then you would not be impressed to her that her grandmother is there with her and that she carries a baby girl in her womb. I am curious why you are with your brother's wife when he is here in the building."

Charlie stiffened and then grabbed Espa's arm as she stared at Kraft her hand going to her belly. Charlie stepped in front of Espa protectively. "Now you have stepped into the category of con man."

"Why is that?" Kraft asked. "Am I wrong?"

"The fact you know about Espa being my sister-in-law means nothing. You could have looked that up. The fact you think you knew she is carrying a girl, you had a fifty percent shot at that. The fact you claim to see her grandmother is easy enough most grandmothers of people are age oar dead." Charlie said stepping and glaring up at the man hostilely. "The fact you try to pass that off as psychic ability means you really need to learn to control your thoughts when they could hurt someone. Thank God, she had not paid you. You would be stealing it, playing on a soft heart and gentle woman. It does not make you delusional. That makes you deceitful. And that…and that I don't like."

Espa gently touched his arm. "Charlie…"

"You should talk to her about what she knows." Kraft said. He smiled at Espa. "She knows far more than she has told you."

The elevator came up and Kraft held out his hand.

"We'll get the next one thanks." Charlie said holding the elbow of Espa gently, but firmly.

Kraft nodded and walked in.

Charlie and Espa had lunch together. Larry had joined them and was eating white foods as he had began to take a fancy to. Charlie and Larry got into a heated debate about the psychic's abilities and Espa, as normal, sat back and listened her hands folded over the swell of her belly. She was out of her element with the kind of arguments the two were making and so she just listened hoping to understand at least half the conversation.

Meanwhile, Don had sent Colby and David out to the crime scene to look for leads. They met with the US Border Patrol who said they should look for coyotes, or smugglers. The did, however, find the truck with the worn tread that matched the tire tread at the crime scene.

Victor Borrego was here legally. He then said they should look to the volunteer citizen patrols that hate him for advocating for the people who come over. He claimed the idols that were found were bad luck totems used to scare the people off. Realizing they could not tie him there other than the print, which no doubt came from him driving around between refugee camps, the cut him loose.

Megan went and told Don what she found out about Kraft. He was in the CIA once being trained as a weapon with their psychic abilities. The program was called Stargate. Also the coroner's report cleared Kraft because when the girl's were killed he was in Seattle at a conference.

Don sent his team after talking to them to talk to various people. Megan to see if Charlie knew anything about Stargate with his NSA clearance, David and Colby to see to the Citizen's Border Guard. He looked into some other things after calling his wife who was resting at the Eppes home with Gretchen in the Solar room.

Larry and Charlie were in the garage playing air hockey when Megan found them. Larry was pro the ability and Charlie was very anti. Megan was also a believer after some things he said to her.

Espa came in as the conversation was wearing down with milk and brownies for them. Charlie dove in, Larry took some milk, and Megan took a brownie. They were very rich and very much full of dark chocolate chunks.

Megan left after it seemed Larry and Charlie would not stop arguing. Espa shook her head and left also to relax in the breeze on the porch as it got on towards evening.

David and Colby drove early that night to the heat of the Border Patrol's home. The private group met here often to go and chase the illegals back. He was unwilling at first, but he finally gave them his member roster.

Don returned home to the apartment and found Espa sleeping on the couch. He smiled and turned off the TV. He bent and kissed her brow. When she did not stir only whimpered a little he bent and lifted her up in his arms.

She sighed and snuggled her face against his shirt. He smiled and carried her to the bedroom and laid her down. Gretchen jumped up to join her. He locked up and got ready for bed. He then joined her, watching her sleep a few moments before falling asleep himself.

Morning had Charlie, Larry, and Megan testing Kraft using cards. They recorded. After twenty-five cards, he had failed. He failed them all. The chances of that were so slim. Larry and Charlie were shocked. Getting them all wrong was the same chance as getting them all right. Kraft was playing with them.

Charlie and Larry took the tape. Charlie was convinced the man was cheating and he thought he found it as they sat in his office.

Don's team was at square one in terms of suspects. Nothing was helping, different times of death for the women, and they had no idea who they were. Finally, David suggested the ask Kraft for help.

Megan and Colby were sent to Kraft's house. He had his home full of drawings of the visions that came to him. He had a sense that the women were in motion and that they were pregnant even though the coroner's report said otherwise. He pointed out what he saw needed interpretation. He is very willing to help if they help him.

Don had him come into the FBI to draw as the visions became clearer. Charlie was appalled, but decides to talk to the man. Kraft tries to explain all he wants to do is help. Charlie does as well, but in a logical way.

The pictures Kraft drew had numbers, signs, and faces. They had them on the big screen of the war room.

Don stood listening for a moment as Megan spoke.

"These are the latest drawings from Kraft." Megan said. "He still thinks there is one ore more potential victims traveling."

"Okay. But do we have any idea what the '15' or the 'S' and the 'B' mean?" Colby asked.

"Traveling. It's got to be a bus or a car, right." Don said. "And what…15…Interstate 15 is a major route coming up from Southern Mexico." He sighed. "It goes right up to Canada actually. Espa told me it goes through Idaho and that is how she goes home if she is driving." He said pacing a little.

"You might be right on the whole bus thing." David said. "There are two major bus carriers in Mexico with the letters 'S' and 'B' in their names." He looked through the files. "Here it is. Baja del Sur and Sierra Bonita. They're both wide spread carriers with routes to at least ten border towns." He said as Don looked at the file.

"The problem is, even if we know precisely which bus, we still don't know who we're looking for." Colby said.

"We need more information about the original victims, the Jane Does." Megan said. "They're the key. I mean, they'll tell us if we can figure out who they are, who the killer is, why he's looking for them."

"Or maybe we can get the psychic to refocus on the victims." David said.

"How about you try using math instead of magic?" Charlie said from the background.

"All right, Charlie." Don said spreading his hands. "What do you got?" He asked sitting down on a table to look at his brother.

"What of I could help you locate the other immigrants that crossed the border with the victims?" Charlie asked.

"Can you?" David asked.

"Very possible, using the Fokker-Planck equation." Charlie said. "Not it allows us to determine the movements of something under the influence of external forces, like a herd of animals. A whole host of forces act on the herd to determine its movement. Some forces attract the herd, forces like a watering hole, a food source, a safe resting place. Other forces deter the herd. Predators, obviously. Hostile terrain. Now, these forces can be analyzed to determine the distance and direction that the herd will travel."

"Can you apply this to the migrant workers?" Colby asked.

"Well, this equation can apply to any nomadic population." Charlie said pulling up a chair and sitting down. "But instead of considering forces like a watering hole, we're considering farm jobs, safe encampments, uh, transportation routes."

"Okay, and instead of predators it would be the Border Patrol and the Citizen's Border Guard." Megan said.

"Right. Now, we know Jane Doe number one crossed the border from Tecate three days ago." Charlie said. "That gives us a starting point. Now, if others crossed over with her, the Fokker-Planck equation is a model that can predict where the others are now."

"All right. Good, Charlie. So why don't you get on that." Don said standing. "And, meanwhile, we keep working with Kraft. We'll run the bus angle and anything else the guy comes up with. Right?"

Charlie shot his brother a look. Don gave one back and then shook his head not willing to argue it.

Charlie returned home and found Espa in the garage eating a slice of cold pizza as she looked at his Cognitive Emergence work.

"Hey, Mouse." He said using her sister's nice name for her. He liked it. He had asked her how she had gotten it and she had told him because when she played soccer she was super fast, super small like her sister was now, and had a very high squeaky voice. It also got her attention if he needed it quickly, like across the quad to flag her down to talk at Cal-Sci.

"Hey." She said. "This is cool work. Though I have no idea what the hell it is." She sighed.

Charlie started to write on the board. Espa kept quiet watching so he could work.

"Hey, Charlie, in all your rearranging in here, did you ever come across a box labeled 'Population Density Studies'?" Alan asked as he came in. "I need it for my mail project. Char…"

Espa looked at him through the beams of the wall and smiled.

"You should not be out here. Mold is out here. Besides you are allergic to chalk." Alan said looking at his daughter-in-law as she lounged on the couch in a very Roman way at that moment because it was comfortable. He looked passed her. "Charlie?"

"Sorry. I'm not sure how well these equations will translate into human populations." Charlie said. "Ah. You know what? They're better than random sketches, right? Right?"

Espa and Alan shared a look as she shifted to get herself more comfortable.

Charlie turned to look at them. "Oh, not you now. Was I asleep? Did I miss the memo? When did the whole world throw rational thought out the window?"

"No, no, Charlie, it's not about what I believe or don't believe." Alan said. "I…I just think it's, uh, very comforting for people to know that everything that we know isn't all that there is."

"I'm not saying we know everything, Dad." Charlie said. "Look, science is all about attacking the mysteries of the universe, unmasking the unknown in a rational methodical manner."

"Yeah, I know. But the world is not always a rational, methodical place." Alan said gently. "You are good at a lot of things, Charlie, but accepting that fact is not one of them."

"Oh, hey, perfect timing." Charlie said looking up to see Don walk in. "Let…Let's all sit down at a Ouija board and try to solve 'P' versus 'NP' once and for all."

"Charlie, don't start with me, you know?" Don said looking at him. Espa gripped her husband's arm, but he ignored her gentle warning. "I mean, the FBI has used psychics and they've helped. So, even if the guy's throwing darts, I'd be happy with a..a dumb-luck bull's eye right about now." His voice was rising as was his temper.

Espa tried to calm him down by rubbing his shoulder. "Don…" She whispered. "Maybe we should let Charlie work in peace, huh?"

"Believe me, Don, it's a waste of your time." Charlie said half turning.

"Yeah, well, I've heard that before. More than once. I mean, when all we had was one of your theories, believe me, I heard that." Don said testily.

Espa's nails dug into his arm sharply in warning. This time he looked at her. She shook her head and pursed her lips. He sighed.

"Please, show me enough respect not to put my work on the same level as your swami." Charlie said.

Don made a step forward, but Espa laid a hand on his chest.

"A…all right, boys, that's it." Alan said. "Let's take a step back for a minute."

Espa walked to Charlie and touched his arm. "Charlie…please…" Her voice was soft and mother like trying to soothe him, but he was too angered to hear at the moment.

"I'm going to go one better and step all the way off." Charlie said setting down his chalk. "And you can let your psychic solve it for you."

"Listen, Charlie…" Don reached for his arm as he walked by, but he stormed passed.

"Hey, where are you going? Charlie!" Alan barked as the door slammed shut.

Espa looked at the two men and sighed shaking her head. "I'll go talk to him."

"No…I can." Don said with a sigh.

She raised her hand. "You have said enough for now Don." He caught the low undercurrent to the tone that said she had not approved of what he had said. She turned and headed after Charlie.

"She has a point." Alan said when his elder son looked at him. "He listens to her more than either of us."

"Well, they are confidants…maybe she can get him to straiten out his child like temper tantrum." Don said.

"Maybe…" Alan said.

Megan, Colby, and David were talking to Kraft the next morning trying to get information out of him. He was trying, but there was nothing left to say yet, except for water being important.

Charlie walked in with a map that they could search. His talk into the wee hours with Espa had convinced him to stay on despite his hated of Kraft to try and save lives. Espa had slept in his bed, while he returned to the garage to work through the night. He had sent Don who had been sitting downstairs waiting for any news to go check on her.

Colby and David, who spoke Spanish went out into the areas outlined by Charlie's map. After several people, Colby found a man who had met Jane Don number one. Her name was Alba and she came from a small city in El Salvador called Metapan. The man also said something weird that the girl only planned to be in the States a couple of days, not stay.

David met up with Don after talking to the police in Metapan. The Jane Does were all suspected runaways. Also something odd. Though a small town there was no indecation that the girls knew each other.

Megan had news that there were two more girls missing from Metapan. There were no leads on them so Don decided to go to lunch with his wife.

Espa was surprised in her lecture by Don coming to see her. He needed to relax a little so he came in with about 10 minutes to spare to hear the rest of her discussion on the late King Hussein of Jordan. She smiled as she saw him walk in and several of her students noticed.

He grabbed an aisle seat as several people looked at him. He smiled a little and listened to the last little bit of her lecture.

She took a breath. "Thursday, we will be starting into King Abdallah and Queen Rania." She said a little louder as people began to pack up. "Also, remember the quiz Tuesday on the Hashemite Kingdom and its significance in the Arab World."

With that she dismissed the class five minutes early after saying they were possibly going to have a quiz at the beginning of next class.

Don got up and walked to her as she set her things in order. "Hey sweetheart." He said softly as he kissed her gently with only half the class missing. Several were whispering about the handsome guy with the gun kissing the professor.

"Hi Don." She smiled at him. "Bad morning?"

"Well, we have names, but…Look…" He looked about as the last students left giggling.

She followed his gaze and smiled. "Freshmen." She said with a shrug.

"Come on, let's get you some food."

"Why whenever you say that it is you who is starving." She said as she gathered her things. He picked up the arm load and smiled as they walked to his car.

"What about the girls?"

"They are all from Metapan in El Salvador." He said and started the car.

"South American." She sighed. "And poor."

"The Border Patrol said that women sneak across to have their babies in the states and then go back, but we know none of them were pregnant like Kraft seems to think they were."

"You are sure?" She asked arching an eyebrow.

"ME says not. Two of them were virgin."

"Don, what if there was something else in their bodies?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know…" She looked at the window. "In high school we had these girl's that would swallow balloons of drugs in the bathroom to hide them from the guard at school. They were bloated and looked pregnant."

"And then pass them later…" Don looked at her. "Espa. You are a genius." He said and kissed her.

"What?"

"The girls aren't pregnant. They are mules."

He took the idea to the team after lunch. Dupe Mules were clearly the answer. It also explained why the girls had been butchered. The person was getting at the drugs inside them because of inability to pass them or greed.

Now they had to find the other two girls to find before they also were cut open like that.

Don returned home to his brother's home. Alan had cooked steak with potatoes and beans for them. Espa had been tired from teaching and Alan had insisted she be able to rest with her feet up.

"You know, it's hard for me to believe that these three young girls would do this. I mean, swallow all those drugs. Never mind going to prison. What would happen if one of the…one of the balloons bursts?" Alan said serving up some potatoes he had brought from the kitchen to Don and Charlie. He gave some to Espa as well. Don was reading a file.

"They'd die." Don said quietly.

"So why do they do it?" Alan asked.

"Come on, Dad." Don said looking up at him. "I mean, they come from a place where they're lucky to make forty or fifty bucks a week."

"If that." Espa said around a mouthful of rare steak.

"Right, and someone probably offers them the chance to make five thousand." Charlie said.

"What about those other two girls, the ones you suspect of being on their way?" Alan asked. "I mean, how are you going to stop them?"

"We got their pictures out to everyone we can, the Border Patrol, the Mexican Police. We're hoping someone will spot 'em." Don said as he took a bite of a bean and then took the salt and shook some on. "And, you know, I mean, that's all we can do."

Charlie cleared his throat. "Actually, you know…Pass me that salt. Thank you." He said sitting the salt down near the pepper and a water glass.

Espa looked down the table and cocked her head.

"Okay. I'm going to set up a simple logic diagram here." Charlie said standing up. "Okay? Three vertices, okay? We'll start with the salt which we'll call the girl's home town in El Salvador…"

"It's Metapan." Don said after he took a swallow of water.

"Metapan." Charlie nodded. "And the pepper is Tecate. And the third vertex, the glass of water, is the US." The other three listened intently. "Now, let's look at the logic issues. /if these girls did swallow these drug balloons, they probably didn't do it all the way back in El Salvador because the drugs would then pass through their body too quickly."

"Oh, yeah, that's right, that's right." Don said nodding.

"The drugs would pass through their system before they even got to the United States." Alan said.

"So, that eliminates the point if that is the case." Espa said.

"Yeah, they'd definitely have to ingest them pretty close to the border, right." Don said.

"Probably Tecate, which would give them the time to get the drugs over the border into the US." Charlie said. Don nodded. "Now, the three vertices are all part of the same system. You find out how they're connected, you're going to find another way to your killer." Charlie said as Don rose to go call his team and then go to work.

After his phone call Don returned for the file and kissed Espa on her cheek and smiled at her before he left.

He returned sooner than he expected to be.

Espa lay in bed wearing a camisole with a pair of Don's old FBI sweats. Don came in loosing his tie as he looked at her reading. She was pressed against the headboard reading a book called "One Night With the King".

She had not looked up and was intently reading. She looked so beautiful with her tussled hair and simple casual dress.

"Looks interesting." He said breaking her reverie.

She looked up startled. "I didn't hear you come in." She smiled and shifted a little as he came over and kissed her mouth tenderly.

"Hey baby." He said smiling. "How was your day?" The day had been so full of his work he had never gotten a chance to ask. He made up for it now.

"Tiring. I had far too much to do today and I can not walk as much as I used to." She smiled and patted her belly. "I blame you…" She teased as she watched him remove his shirt.

He laughed. "Oh?" He removed his shoes and then he sat down looking at her. He rubbed her leg as she put the book down to look at him fully.

"Yes…How are you?"

"Better now that I am here." He smiled and lifted a small naked foot in his palm. "Your feet are so tiny." He said as he kissed the top of it.

"I wish the rest of me was…" She said looking at him. He licked her ankle bone and grinned as she shuddered.

"You glow…:" He said and moved up the bed like a stalking tiger. He kissed her and pressed his clothed lower half to hers and rocked knowing full well his movements would heat her and leave her wanting as he already was.

"You are insatiable." She said feeling his hardness against her. "Of course I know…How many times did you have me in our three months of dating before I found out…?"

"Yep…comes from being a bachelor so long."

She yelped as he pressed the neckline down to reveal her larger than before breasts with their dark dusky nipples. They had been sensitive always and all the more now. He flicked his tongue on one as he cupped the other.

"Be gentle with me oh great sex God from the heavens…"

"But for your plea I would have ravished you senseless." He said with a grin and kissed her shifting so he could reach between then to pull his old comfortable sweats down. He grinned feeling that she was not wearing panties.

"Going commando today, my love?" He teased

"Only since I have been ready for bed…" She pulled him down for a kiss and then trailed her kissed up along his face. "Only since I was ready for you."

He chuckled and lifted himself up to strip. She rolled to side so she would be more comfortable and he would not pinch a nerve. He then came to her and kissed her neck as he pressed into her.

"My beautiful wife…" He purred into her hair.

The next morning Colby and David discovered from DEA agent information sharing that there was a pharmacy in Tecate with connections to El Salvador. The pharmacy was owned by Victor Borrego, whom they had had and let go. He was the drug runner with perfect cover of helping the immigrants and waiting for his mules to come over.

Megan found out from the Mexican Authorities that one of the girls had been found in Tecate with her stomach loaded with drugs. Unfortunately, the other girl had already crossed.

Don called everyone together, including Kraft and Charlie into the war room. Kraft still had the importance of water. Charlie then took out a map to draw where they could be. He got it down to one area. It was large, but they could do an air search.

Within a few minutes Victor Borrego's truck was spotted. Only one occupant was in the car. Don sent Colby and David to go make a roadblock and catch a murderer. Colby and David grabbed him and forced him into confessing where the girl was hidden. They found her bound in a barn with a lot of water bottles full of water lying around.

The hospital called about an hour later with the good news that she was going to be alright. Kraft took his leave after getting what Don promised, an official mention in the records and a credit from the FBI. He filled out a statement for Don and left just as mysteriously as he had come into the case.

The Eppes boys came home and were again arguing.

"You know what the worst part is?" Charlie asked

"What?" Don asked as they came into the Eppes family home. He bent down and picked up Gretchen as she wondered to him whimpering a little. "Come here you little fur monster." He muttered as he scratched her neck and ears.

"In now this guy's walking around with an FBI credit in his pocket."

"Charlie…" Don sighed.

"Which, by the way, he'll only further exploit to fool people."

"You can't rule out everything the guy did." Don said setting Gretchen down in her dog bed as he turned to remove his coat.

"Of course I can" Charlie said.

"Hey, look, he knew there'd be more victims." Don said.

"Hey, three dead girls, the the FBI pounding on his door in a panic. How hard is that to deduce?"

"Are you two still at it?" Alan asked coming down the stairs with Espa right behind him wearing a robe over her husband's FBI sweats she had taken to wearing for bed.

"It's obvious you're not going to agree on this." Espa said as the two walked in to look at the brothers. It was late and Espa had been sleeping.

"What about the sketches? What about the sketches? He led us to the bodies." Don said. "You tell me how he did that?"

"I don't know, okay? But there could be any number of reasons. He worked for the CIA. And the CIA was involved in the search for Pablo Escobar so he may have an intimate knowledge of the drug trade."

"Charlie, that is so thin." Don said a laugh in his voice.

"I don't think…"

Espa moved and leaned against the wall. She sighed watching the men in her life argue about the psychic's abilities. She yawned and stepped forward to touch Don's arm.

"I agree with Don. It's pretty thin." Alan said.

Don wrapped his arm about Espa so she could lean on him.

"Oh, and attributing super human powers to a psychic, that's thick." Charlie said sarcastically.

"Don, I want to go to bed…" Espa said trying to interrupt before this got out of hand. "You really should not argue any more…it is upsetting some people." She said looking up.

Don pressed forward being the big brother always needing the last word in as he ignored his wife's warning for the moment. "No, listen, I'm not saying everything he did was real, but you can't…"

There was a clang and they all looked over. Margaret's picture, Espa's favorite of her on her wedding day had fallen to the ground.

"See I told you." Espa said wrapping her arms about herself and shivered a little.

"What was that?" Alan asked.

"That's Mom's picture." Don said.

"Oh, don't start to say that that meant something, okay." Charlie said.

"Come on." Don said. He walked over with his father to look. He had also seen the haunted look in his wife's eyes before she walked to the couch and sat down holding her arms tight about her body. "That's spooky." He looked at Espa who was staring at the floor. "Espa?"

It took a moment for her to look up. "I'm fine." She said softly. Don knew she was more spooked than anyone by that.

"You know, your mother never liked it when you guys argued." Alan said

Charlie scoffed.

"She still doesn't apparently." Espa said cryptically.

"Oh, there's many reasons that that just fell." Charlie said. "Look it's fallen before. You were supposed to put an earthquake anchor on that wall, Dad."

"So, what, that's a coincidence?" Don stammered.

Don rubbed his face as Espa got up slowly and went to him. "He did Charlie. I was here when he did. It fell off of it." She whispered.

"Coincidence and nothing more." Charlie said firmly.

"Yeah. I don't know. That's weird." Don said shaking his head. He was just as jarred as Espa, but Espa looked like she had seen something like a…ghost.

He blinked. Her grandmother and her mother came to her in dreams. She saw things in her head when she had gone to Auschwitz, she had told him. The screams, the smell of burning flesh that stifled her when she had touched the water, the faces in the water…

The faces…

He looked at her a moment and then at his father. Then all three looked at Charlie.

"Coincidence." Charlie said his voice higher as he tried to convince himself as he looked at his mother's smiling face in the picture.


	9. Protest

**Protest**

5,000,000

Vietnamese killed 

58,226

US troops KIA 

3,000

Bombings 

0

Arrests

Don Eppes was eating Chinese take-out with his wife in their living room watching a baseball game. He had a call made to him to go to the bombing of a recruitment center in downtown.

Espa, as always, smiled and waved him off.

The bomb had killed a man who had been using the ATM nearby. His wife was in shock and taken to the hospital.

Don spent the night waiting for reports to come in from the crime lab. In the morning the Techs found an e-mail sent to the FBI about an hour before the bomb went off. A retired agent was brought in by the FBI brass. It matched his case from thirty-five years ago to the day. Don was not sure he liked a man stepping in on his case.

Agent Lawson compared the note from before and information about a Matthew Stirling. Charlie came in to do some statistics work for his brother. Don was not willing out rule a copycat yet even though the bomb was exactly the same.

Before two kids were killed. This time a man. The Weather Underground and Matthew Stirling had come out of hiding with a vengeance.

Charlie went home to work on the shelving project that he and Espa were working on. Espa, though very heavily pregnant, was still able to do the things she used to, just at a slower pace with frequent rest and potty breaks. The baby seemed to like to sit on her bladder.

Espa was not allowed to stain the boards because of the fumes, but after the quick dry stain had dried enough she had helped put them up.

Then she set about decorating the cases and cleaning the glass. Alan had snapped a towel playfully at her after a couple of hours to get her to sit down and have some lemonade and put her feet up.

The two of them had been plotting the reception for her and Don at the family home. It was a good time of year to have it. Alan had a copy of _Brides_ Magazine and was asking her things about what she wanted and what she did not care for. They both knew Don wanted a BBQ with steak, friends, and beer, but Alan was thinking this may be the only reception he would get to help plan so he was going to make the most of it.

Don returned to the Eppes family home. "Hey." He said coming in the door. He looked at the work that they had done in amazement.

"So, what do you think of this?" Charlie asked.

Espa looked up at Don. "Wow." He said admiring as he tossed his keys on the table. He held some files. He came and kissed Espa softly before looking up as his father walked in. "You got it done fast."

"Yeah. I found it in the original designs. The people who owned the place before us, they…they tore 'em out." Alan said.

"I can't imagine why they did it." Charlie said.

"Neither can I." Espa smiled. "I feel accomplished." Gretchen came in and jumped up into her lap holding a bone, with she held between her paws like hands as she settled onto the arm of the chair.

"Well, people did stupid things in the seventies." Don said shaking his head as he shot his dad a look.

"I take it you're not just talking about home remodeling." Alan said picking up the paper Espa had brought in about an hour ago with the mail.

Don did not answer him. "Here are the files from the ROTC bombing." He said handing to Charlie.

"Oh, great." Charlie said taking them. Don went to admire the other shelf and then to admire his glowing wife as she sat looking up at him serenely with her hands folded on her belly. "So you think this guy, Stirling, was involved with these recent bombings, huh, after all these years?"

Don had his hand on Espa's and was watching her and only half paying attention to the other two.

"Stirling? You're talking about Matt Stirling?" Alan asked.

The other three looked up at him.

"Yeah. Why?" Don asked.

"Well, I knew him. We worked together." Alan said eyeing his son. Don's eyes flicked the as usual quiet and listening Espa and then looked back.

"You did? At City Hall?" Charlie asked.

"No Californians for Peace." Alan said. "We organized volunteers. Matty worked with the local colleges." Don straitened his tie and listened as he watched his father.

"You were an antiwar protester?" Charlie asked surprised.

"I participated in peaceful demonstrations, so did Matt." Alan said firmly.

"Dad, Matt Stirling is the one who blew up the ROTC Center." Don said. "He killed two innocent kids."

"Matt Stirling's guilt was never proven in a court of law." Alan said advancing on his elder son his voice rising.

"Yeah, because he took off." Don said his own voice rising. He could not believe his father was protesting the guilt of the man.

"Look, I knew Matt Stirling. He has a wife, he had a child." Alan said walking into the other room. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about evidence." Don said.

Espa rose to her feet awkwardly. Gretchen moved into the chair and continued to chew her bone not caring about the males arguing as her mistress did.

"What evidence?" Alan asked skeptically

"Those files right there, to begin with!" Don pointed.

Charlie was reading. He looked at Espa who stood not sure if she should intervene or not between her husband and his father.

"Oh, come on. You guys probably had twice that much on the man you mistakenly accused of the Madrid train bombings." Alan said.

"We're trying to stop someone from killing innocent people here." Don said standing with his hands on his hips.

"So we're we!" Alan growled spreading his hands.

Espa made a grab at Don, but he was already moving toward the garage. Charlie looked at Espa who nodded her head to follow Don as she waddled to talk to Alan in the front room. Charlie nodded and did as she suggested.

Alan looked up at her. "You trying to soothe this over isn't going to help honey." He said his voice softer.

"I know, but I can try. I am a part of the family too and when you fight I am always in the middle anyway. I am married to the FBI agent who gets information out of people for a living, and am the sister-in-law to the math genius who does not get human feelings, and daughter-in-law to the father who knows far more than he should about the past."

"You are so quiet you disappear into the background sometimes. We all have been away from women long enough in this house to sometimes forget one lives here again."

"I don't live here, but as much as I am here I should."

He chuckled. "Indeed." He looked at her. "How are you and Don doing?"

"What sort of question is that?" She asked.

"Well, I know my son is not always the easiest person to get along with. Besides, the pregnant backed him into a corner. I know he loves you, but he is not the sort to really sort it well."

"He is protective to the point it is sometimes maddening." She said and sighed. "I do not think either one of us are used to having someone else in our lives all the time. Taking some getting used to."

"I am sure. For you more than him for sure. He adapts and hides his feelings well. I know the thought of being a father spooked him a little. Hell, it spooked me when his mother told me that she was pregnant with Donnie and we were married first."

She caught the dig at them and shook her head. She took a breath and laid a hand on her belly and let it out slowly. "You're granddaughter does not like the family arguing."

His eyes flashed concern. "Sit down." He told her hand gently. When she did he took her hand. "I'm sorry…he is just so set in his ways…and so am I."

"I know." She said.

Charlie walked into the garage where his brother was lounging on the couch with one knee up and his arm resting on it. He was deep in thought as he rubbed his head.

Don looked up at him. "Hey."

"Hey." Charlie greeted. "I didn't know Dad was so…active back then." He said holding the files and then dropping onto the couch nest to Don.

"Yeah, well, I kind of forgot about it until I was joining the Bureau." Don said with a sigh. "Came out in my background check."

"Was he ever arrested?"

"Oh, yeah. Twice."

"Twice?"

"Sit-ins. I was, like three. Mom and Dad both took me to a march. LAPD hauls Dad off in cuffs." He shrugged.

"Dad has an FBI file."

"Uh-huh." Don said nodding

"What's in it?"

"Well, that's the thing. It's funny. You know, I mean, I never wanted to read it that closely."

"By the time I was born, the war was over."

"Yeah. Well, lucky you." Don snorted.

Charlie took a breath and then patted his brother's leg. "All right Don. What about this bomb investigation?"

Don sat up and sighed. "Well, I mean, Stirling's our prime suspect, but thirty-five years that's a long time."

"You know, you've got a lot of data here from the old case, I might be able to run an application of math called social network analysis, which analyzes the structure of groups. Might tell us how Stirling fit into Californians For Peace, and who he worked with."

Don nodded his hands folded on his knees. "Could it tell if he was involved with something like the Weather Underground?"

"Oh, quite possibly."

"And if it was a copycat?"

"The analysis might very well identify likely suspects."

Don nodded. Espa waddled in and knocked on the door. "Am I interrupting anything?" She asked her hands doing to her back to support it. She had really had the baby press out and forward in the last couple of weeks. She now looked as pregnant as she was. When she had informed him of her pregnancy Don, had thought she was kidding since he had not seen the evidence on her body. Then she started to and after he heard the heartbeat…the part of him that had bee holding back finally accepted it.

Don got up and shook his head. "No…We were just talking. How are you sweetheart?"

"Okay. What do you boys want for supper?" She asked taking a breath and leaning against the wall.

Don grabbed her hands and led her to the couch. "You need to relax."

"I am pregnant, Don. I am only going to get fatter until the kid comes out. I might as well be doing things I love." She said her hands still in his.

He rubbed them. "How is Dad?"

"Better." She said. "He is just…very set in his thoughts. Like some others in this family." She shot them both a look. "I know where you get it from."

He sighed and shook his head. "Well, how about something simple like Spaghetti?"

"I made that two days ago. How about Elk with jaeger sauce?" She asked. "My uncle sent us some remember. He said was some of the best he had ever had. Baked Potatoes? Sour Cream? Butter? Sweet Corn?"

"Sure, if you feel up to cooking that." Charlie said.

She moved to the edge of the couch and awkwardly levered herself up waving off Don as he moved to help her. "I am fine." She then leaned back and smiled. "Just have to keep balanced." She sighed. "I can not believe women can tolerate this for nine months." She said with a smile. "By all rights the kid is a parasite and should be aborted and yet the woman's body does not. Such an amazing machine humans are."

With that she went to go start on dinner leaving the Eppes brothers to stare after her.

Don and Charlie dug further into the investigation. Don took Agent Lawson with him to an interview with Matt Stirling's family and they were kicked out of the home for some of the foolish things that Lawson said to anger them.

Don and the team started looking into known associates as well. Sarah Kemple and Jack Bennett. They both were not interested in the movement anymore and had alibis for the bombing.

Later that evening while Espa and Don were at home Charlie and Larry were at the university trying to work out complicated math problems with Amita. The fire alarm went off and everyone went outside. The same globe burned in 1971 was again blazing.

Don gathered David, Colby, and Lawson after the crime report came back. It was exactly like what Matt Stirling did in 1971. It was the same substance used. Don had his team look into a possible copycat, which angered Lawson who did not like how Don was handling what had been his case.

Lawson accused Don of divided loyalties as he read snippets of Alan Eppes's file to Don. Don was naturally angered that Lawson was almost accusing his father, but Lawson then pointed out that he had a source of information that he was not using in his father.

Charlie had a visitor as well from Stirling's daughter who wanted to help and clear her father's name. She gave Charlie a brush to use for DNA. She was willing to risk her father's guilt in order to have him proved innocent so he could come home to his family.

Don drove home to the Eppes family home. Espa had gone there since he was working late so she did not have to be alone. He walked into the door and sighed. He heard the sound of small feet coming to the door and then barking. He smiled and opened the door and bent down.

Gretchen bounced into his arms excitedly and licked him excitedly. "Hello, you little monster." He said and scratched her ears playfully.

He looked up and saw his wife seated at the table with her hair piled up off her neck wearing a tank top and maternity shorts. Alan was leaning over her chair. They were moving things around on the table and having quite the discussion it seemed.

"Hey." Don said as he put the dog down and set his keys on the table.

Alan did not look up, but Espa turned a little to smile a greeting. "Charlie's not here." He said.

"Hello Don." Espa said as she turned back and put something with something else.

"Oh, I like that." Alan said.

Don walked to them pulling his jacket off and tossing it on the couch. Immediately, Gretchen jumped up and started to nest in it because it was warm from his body heat and it smelled like Don, the Alpha male in the family. "Actually I came to see you, Dad." He sighed seeing that they had reception things. Flowers, tables, arbors, colors, cakes, and dresses. He shook his head. This was going a bit far, but he would not upset either of them right now on that score. He leaned on the back of another chair. "Dad. How well did you know Matt Stirling?"

"Is this an official visit?" Alan asked turning to his son.

"Come on…" Don said eyeing him.

"I should go check on the…" Espa said as she turned to get out of the chair.

Alan's hand fell on her shoulder keeping her there. He wanted a mediator in case this turned into a yelling match again. She sighed and settled back. She looked at her husband and shrugged a little. She had tried to leave to let them be alone.

"How'd you meet him?" Don asked watching his dad's face like a trained interrogator though his voice was soft and his body relaxed as he leaned there.

"At a local church." Alan said tossing his pen down. He took off his glasses and looked at his son. "I was, uh, organizing voters. You know, we had people from all walks of life there. We had students and teachers…"

Don straitened clearly uninterested in the rest of the stuff. "Dad, Matt Stirling."

"Matt Stirling was a lawyer devoted to non-violent protests." Espa watched her husband's face. She knew that he did not totally believe that. "And he was a good speaker, too. That's what got him in trouble with the FBI. You see, he could speak their language. He could use it against them."

"That's it, huh?" Don asked his hands resting on his hips.

"Am I a suspect, too?" Alan asked.

"Come on, don't be ridiculous." Don said. "It's just that Stirling got help from someone, we think, and…" He took a breath and looked to his wife.

"Oh, I see. And I knew the people he knew." Alan said. He took a breath. "All right, come with me." He said walking into the garage. Espa got up and walked behind Don as Alan started to look into boxes until he found the one he needed. "Credit your mother, she loved to organize things." He said setting the box on the air hockey table. "You know, keep records."

Espa stayed back watching her arms folded over her belly as she watched them.

He pulled out files. Don opened one and saw a bunch of names and phone numbers. "What is this?" He asked lifting it.

Espa snorted. He turned to look at her with an arched eyebrow. "It's a phone tree, Don. We used to use them when I was growing up in Idaho for Girl Scouts and things."

"Well, we were a little more advanced here in California." He said looking back.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"Uh, before e-mail that's how we organized things. Each person was assigned a list of people to call." Alan said.

"Oh. Schedules, committee rosters. Oh, Dad, this is definitely gonna help." Don said looking through the papers.

"You know, Donny, I'd hate to see anyone found guilty by association." Alan said eyeing his son.

"Well, you can trust me." Don said lifting a file to look more closely at it.

"It's not you I'm worried about." Alan said.

"Dad, I know a lot of the guys who were in the Bureau in the '70s. These are good people. I mean, they truly believe what they were doing was right, so…"

"Yeah? So did we." Alan said. "You read my file haven't you? I mean, all that crap they have in there about me?"

"Yeah, I read some of it." Don said not looking at him as he pretended to be reading a paper as he stood a ways away from his father.

"Donnie, they said that my work, registering voters in South Central, was part of a conspiracy to instigate racial tensions." Alan said walking over to his son. Don looked up. "Now, how can you defend that?"

"I don't have to. I don't see stuff like that goin' on today, Dad." Don said. "And I see a lot. Things have changed."

Espa took a breath and closed her eyes. This was the start to a new fight she could sense it.

"I think you believe that." Alan said

"I do believe it." Don answered.

"I am not sure that I do." Alan said. He then walked by and out the door leaving his son to watch him go.

Espa scowled at her husband a moment. "Can you stop being an FBI agent for once and realize what you are saying to him?"

He sighed. "Esperanza, you need to keep out of this. It is a family thing." He said looking back at the file.

"A family thing. A family thing!" She took a step forward and he looked at her started by her sudden anger. "Last time I checked I am in this family Donald Eppes." She said drawing herself up to her full height to look at him. She took a breath. "You have no idea the damage you are doing do you?"

"What are you talking about?" He asked looking at her. He was not used to having a woman interfering in the family dynamic. Nor was he used to a woman talking to like she was. She was angry and talking to him as though he was a child in need of scolding.

"He is very set in his ways like you Don. You are backing him into a corner." She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "I do not like being the one to keep fixing the egos of you three…men." She threw up a hand in exasperation.

"He will get over it." Don said moving to the box. "You don't need to worry."

She shook her head. "You really do not see do you?"

He turned to her and leaned on the table. "What am I not seeing?"

"Keep this up and you will rip this family in two." She hissed in a warning. She shook her head. "And while you two are fighting I am trying to plan out reception, which you do not give a damn about."

"Is that what this about?" He asked.

She glared at him and then threw up her hands and walked toward the door. He looked at her. "Espa…" He said moving to follow her.

She whipped about to look at him and froze him with her finger against his chest. "Stay here and use his files as you will. When you decide you wish to be a member of the family again, let me know." With that she walked out leaving him to stare after her as the door slammed.

Don found both his wife and his father cold to him for the rest of the evening. He drove her and Gretchen home for the night and she went to bed without a word. He felt even more guilt over what he had said when he came in from watching the news and drinking a beer and found her pillow wet from her tears from where her face had been before she rolled over. He suspected she was not asleep yet, but her eyes were closed anyway as she faked it. He had not heard her. He had not idea women could cry so silently. It had grated on him and he did not sleep well that night.

Morning came and Don went to work. Espa had been up, but had only allowed him to kiss her cheek before he left. He wondered if this was the hormones the doctor had warned him that might show up from his wife's pregnancy. He loved her dearly, but he was not sure how to handle this new facet to her.

Don's team used Alan's files and came up with Sarah Kemple who had been a pre-med student at the time. She had access to the chemicals. No one had ever even questioned her.

Don and Megan went to her office and arrested her. They brought her in for questioning. She said she had set the first bomb, but she was in the clear for the second because of a medical conference. The name Cisco came up. He was apparently a man who worried Sarah.

Don returned home to Espa sitting at the piano with a friend. Espa was playing '_Shenandoah_' along with her friend who was playing the violin. Don stood at the door and listened. He could see Charlie and Alan listening to the sweet music. It was melancholy and very beautiful.

Then the beat changed and Espa picked up her Irish drum to beat out a beat after her friend played the first few measures. Alan and Charlie started to clap along amazed at the skill of the two women. The violinist was smiling as she beat the beat with her foot. Espa was seated, but smiling.

Don smiled and moved his head in time with the music. Espa looked up and smiled a little at him as he let the beat move through him like he was everyone in the Eppes clan.

The song came to a close and all three Eppes men clapped.

Don stepped forward. "I did not know you played piano."

"I did not know you did either." She said putting down her hand drum.

"Oh, Dad has been telling you stories again." He smiled. She seemed in a better mood for now at least. "I took lessons, but I hardly remember."

"It comes back Agent Eppes." The strange woman said. Her accent was pretty like Espa's only harder. She offered her hand. "I am Susanne Bosman." She smiled. "You are as handsome as she told me. Nice eyes."

"Nice to meet you." Don said taking the hand with a chuckle. He nodded toward the seated Charlie. "Hey, if you like the Eppes family eyes, my brother is…"

"Hey, lay off Don." Charlie said getting up to join his father after shooting Don a look.

"Just lookin' out for you bro." Don called after him with a grin. He looked back and pointedly looked at Espa.

"Oh, sorry." Espa said. "Sue, this is my husband, Don. Don, my best friend from college, Susanne. She is here to help plan."

"You're a lucky man." Sue said.

"I know." He said and smiled at his wife. He noticed his father had gotten up and walked into the other room avoiding his son for now. Don's eyes looked back at the woman who was near his height and very beautiful. "Where are you from and what do you do?"

"I rob from the rich and give to the poor." She smiled at him. He laughed at that and she chuckled. "Seriously, I am a lawyer against big business." She smiled. "As for your original question. I am from Germany."

"Ah…" It explained her accent. He pulled her into a quick hug and kissed her cheek. "Welcome to the family home. Any friend of my wife is a friend of mine."

"Thank you." She then laughed. "It is true that some people look good in suits. Do all you guys wear them and ties?"

He smiled a little. "Well, unlike the NSA, I do not shower in mine." He said. "So what are you two planning?"

"Among other things the Hens and Stag party."

"The what?" Don asked.

"Forgive me." Susanne laughed. "Hens and Stags. The British version of that you Americans call the bachelor parties. We did not get to before you two married."

"Well, we were a bit rushed there." He said standing there with his hands in the back pockets of his pants.

"It will be fun." Susanne said

"For you. I can't drink." Espa said.

"You can have one." Susanne said. "Doctors in Europe allow…"

"No." Don said firmly stepping to Espa. "I do not want her getting near alcohol while pregnant, all right." He laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, you are right. He is a bit of a protective man isn't he?" Susanne said looking up at Don's dark eyes. "So arbeitet er für den FBI, huh? Wimmern."

"Ein bischen. Er macht gut. Er hat mich lieb." Espa said. "Yeah, mag ich einen Mann mit einer Gewehr und in der Uniform."

Don's look was priceless as he stood stunned looking from woman to woman. He knew they were talking about him by how they were grinning and looking at him, but he felt very uncomfortable having them speaking in a language he did not understand, even if it was close to English.

"Ich weiss." Susanne answered. "Guter Polizeioffizier. Seine Augen sind schnell. Hast Du schon gesehen?"

Espa giggled. "Ja. Habe Ich."

"That's not fair." Don said. "You can't go speaking about me in a language I do not understand." He looked at them. "What are you saying?" He asked suspiciously.

"Nichts." Espa said with a grin as she touched his nose playfully and then got up and put her arm around Susanne. They giggled and walked from the room like teenagers. He watched them feeling awkward. He had not been that confused about women since high school. How was it that two intelligent and degree holding women could turn into girls like twelve when they got together and talked. He would never understand.

After about an hour and Don having a beer he drove Susanne home to her house nearby and then took his sleepy wife home. He had watched as Alan and the two girls compared ideas for the reception. There were going to be about thirty to forty people coming to it. He was not sure he could deal with that many people at once. Maybe after a few bottles of beer.

He opened the door of the apartment and set Gretchen down. The little dog walked across the wooden floor to her dog bed to chew her bone. He watched Espa go into the bathroom. She emerged some minutes later and walked into the bedroom.

"So…you and Susanne seem to be good friends." He said as he leaned against the door. "She knows a lot about me and us doesn't she?"

"Yes." She said as she changed. Don admired her form in the low light. Her full round belly like a white veined fruit. Even now she was beautiful. It was a strange beauty he had never though he would see in women. She pressed her hand to a spot. He knew the reaction well enough now to know that the baby had just kicked her. She turned a little. The moonlight made interesting light and shadow patterns on her as she stood there. Her breasts were larger and darker than when he had first bedded her, but he did not mind that in the slightest.

He walked behind her. "I am sorry for being an ass. I am just dealing with this hard case and with dad partly involved…I should not have put you between us. You are in this family and I need to learn to listen more." He cupped her breasts and smiled as she inhaled. He knew they were far more sensitive now too. He bent and kissed her neck right at the base.

She sighed as she leaned back into him. It felt rather strange having him holding her so. He was still full dressed in his suit and she was naked, but as his lips moved higher toward her ear she discovered she did not care.

"I think I can forgive you this once." She said breathily as she turned her head to give him better access.

He smiled as he brushed her hair to one side. He nipped slightly and then sucked her earlobe as he fondled her with seeming deftness, but it was driving her mad. "Good." He said in her ear and then licked it as he let his hands wonder lower.

Don looked into Cisco, but could find nothing on him. He asked Lawson who claimed he was a drifted who had moved on.

Don spoke with the wife of Stirling again. He asked about Cisco. She told him Matt Stirling had been afraid of Cisco and what he might do. Blocks were starting to fall into place.

Charlie's findings found something interesting. The activities of the FBI and the Californians for Peace seemed to be linked. The only way that was possibly was if the mysterious Cisco was an agent on the inside.

Don tracked down Lawson coming out of the subway and spoke to him about Cisco. The records on the man were sealed by court order. Don asked about him speaking to Sarah Kemple. Lawson said the man never did and only spoke to Stirling. Don asked the former agent where to find Cisco and Lawson revealed that he was Cisco. So there was a man on the inside.

Don then took Lawson to a room in the FBI building to ask him about 'Cisco's' involvement. Lawson said it was only Stirling he talked to about radical activities. Don was left amazed that the FBI started the ball rolling for three deaths and two bombings in two wars.

Another bomb went off while they were inside talking to Lawson. It was small and in a trash can outside the building. Only minor injuries, but some else besides Sarah Kemple had the recipe.

Megan spoke with Sarah Kemple. She revealed that she had not come up with the recipe herself as she had said before. It had come from a book called _Essays on Revolution_. The only other person who knew she had made the explosives was Matty Stirling.

Don and the team went to the home of the Stirlings with a warrant to search for the explosives. Matt's wife told them that he would have never brought explosives into the home that would have endangered the family. The night he had left he had told his wife he was going to fix a mistake.

Don and the team realized that he may have gone to get the explosives, but never come home because of an accident. Larry, Charlie, and Amita used old maps to plan the best route that would have been available then.

Don came home late and found Espa sleeping in bed with Gretchen and a sleeping Susanne Bosman on his couch. He shook his head as he quietly went to the bedroom. Gretchen, the watch dog was sound asleep and dreaming like his wife. All he could do was curl up with them and get whatever sleep he could.

True enough, in the morning Don, Megan, and Colby went along the suggested route and found only a few hundred yards away from the cabin, an old car off a steep embankment. Don went down to look in it and found a human skull. Matt Stirling was dead and no longer could be a suspect. Also the 1971 explosives had blown up the car and so whomever was the bomber now was a copycat and had access to the book.

The book is missing in action. It is not at the Stirling's, not at Dr. Kemple's office or home, not with Stirling's daughter. Where was it? Bank records came through finally. American Peace Movement got one thousand dollars from Jack Bennett.

Don sent David and Colby to go see Bennett. He claimed they were forgeries and he did not want anything to do with that now. He was a Republican and believed in the government now.

The team started looking at the finances. Bennett's company bought all the basic ingredients to the bomb, but that was not enough to damn them since it was a construction company. They also note the whole things about the forgery maybe correct. But one question remains. What is missing?

Charlie explains they are missing a dimension. The old generation was tied to a new generation and there were other cross boundary connections. However, Don realizes not that they should be looking at the children of the group not the group.

After clearing Stirling's daughter Don and the team move in on Jack Bennett. The man naturally is shocked and even more shocked when he finds out the FBI are right. After a fierce stand off with Bennett's son and blasting gel, Colby took him down. Blasting gel is more potent than dynamite, but more stable as well.

They arrest the man and bring him in. At his home the book his found. He thought it belonged to his father. It did not, but he truly thought his father was responsible for the first bombing. He was against the Iraq war and wanted to be like his dad. Sadly he was a murderer when his father was not.

Don then took Lawson out for a drink. He could not believe the Bureau started the ball rolling for a movement that lasted two wars and had three people dead. Don gets no answer, only a look when he asks if it is Lawson's writing on the cover of the book that caused it all.

Charlie went to tell Stirling's daughter the good news. They had cleared her father of all the wring doings then and now. She invited him to the memorial that they were having for her father. She also invited Alan since she knew her father and he were friends.

Don came home and found a note on the table that Espa was at the Eppes family home. She was making finally arrangements with Charlie and Alan for the reception since it was to be at their home.

Don went in through the garage so he could get a beer. He cracked it and walked into the living room. Espa was no where in sight, but Alan was reading in a chair. Gretchen was sleeping contentedly across his lap.

"Dad?" Don said.

Alan looked up at him. "Hi." Gretchen raised her head, but the laid back again.

"So, Charlie and Espa did a good job on this, huh?" Don said looking at the shelves.

"Yeah, I like it." Alan said.

"Look, you know, I'm…I'm aware that the Bureau has some bad history." Don said

"Is that an apology?" Alan asked.

Neither man noticed, but Espa had come down the stairs and was sitting listening to her husband and his father talk and work through the rift that was between them.

"I'm just sayin', it was a different time, you know? And…and I know that." Don said as he rubbed the back of his head and started to pace a little as he looked about.

"Donnie, I'm the same guy I was then. I still believe in the same things."

"Yeah, well, good." Don said.

Charlie came down the stairs. Espa held up her hand to stop him. He sat on the stair below her. Both listened. She laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"You know, when you told me you were gonna join the FBI, you know…you know what the first thought I had was?"

Don stopped and looked at him. "'Where did I go wrong?'"

"Honestly, yes. Because I thought you wanted to do something as different from Charlie and the rest of us as possible."

Don shook his head. "No, I knew it was something I was going to be good at."

"And you are." Alan nodded sitting forward.

Don sat down on a chair arm and shook his head. "Yeah, thanks."

"No, I mean it. You are Donnie. Maybe it's because your mother and I brought you guys up to do the kind of work that really matters in this world."

On the stairs Charlie looked at Espa and she looked back with a smile as hugged him gently and they both looked out watching and listening to the discussion.

Don nodded. "And, you know, look, I didn't have to read the file, okay?" He stood up to stand before his father. "'Cause…'cause I knew that ultimately, I would respect anything that you or Mom were involved with." He said sitting down on the small table.

Alan nodded accepting that.

They looked at each other for a few moments before Don looked at him. "Commie." He jeered playfully.

"G-man." Alan said back.

Don chuckled and nodded as he took a drink of his beer.

"All right, big shot, where are you gonna take me to dinner?" Alan asked as he leaned forward. "You owe me and your wife. Especially your wife."

"Oh?"

"Yes…She fought tooth and nail to get us to see eye to eye." Alan said. "She's a good kid. You are lucky to have her."

Charlie got up and pulled Espa to her feet. They smiled and hugged each other. All was well again in the Eppes family.

Don exhaled. "I know. I never thought I would be so content to have a woman home all the time with a baby on the way." He stood up. "All right, well, there is a new Italian place supposed to have a great steak pizziola."

"Red meat, let's eat." Charlie said coming down the stairs as though he had just heard them and was hungry.

Espa waddled down and smiled at them as she walked to get her coat. Alan moved out from under the dog, to the sound of much protest. That made them all smile. Charlie grabbed his coat as Don walked over.

"Hey, at least it's good to know, when it comes to food you're still both your father's sons." Alan said with a grin as he grabbed his coat.

Don set down his beer and grabbed a hold of his wife. He laid his hands on her belly and smiled at her. "I love you, do you know that?" He asked. He kissed her his hands holding her face gently in his hands as he bent down to her. Her arms went about him and she gripped the loops of his jeans at his side since she could not reach further with her belly. She felt the baby move between them as he pressed himself against her. She felt horribly fat, but his kisses were making her feel very loved and wanted.

After a moment Alan jabbed his son's side. "Hey…some of us are hungry."

Espa blushed as Don pulled back from her. He was grinning. "Hey. I was thanking my wife." He said and smirked as he went to put on his coat.

Charlie opened the door and the Eppes' went out together to enjoy a good mean and some together time.


	10. Dark Matter

**Dark Matter**

4

Years 

1.8 Million

Hazings 

192

Rounds

6

Minutes

Don Eppes and Esperanza Eppes were having an early lunch before she had to return to class. She only had a few more classes before Christmas break and her Sabbatical started. She had decided she was going to work on a publication during the last few months of her pregnancy, which would allow her to be home relaxing more. It also made it so she would be paid her full stipend through her entire maternity leave rather than a reduced salary. After the January through June school semester was over she would be off for the summer as well allowing time to bond with her baby wince she only worked for nine months of the year according to her contract.

Don thought that that was brilliant and he was envious. He could never take off from work for six months to do anything like that.

"So, how is the planning coming?" He asked. "I know you and Susanne have been busy." He said as he then took a bit of the deli sandwich he had.

Espa smiled as she too took a big bite and then shrugged. "Well." She said after she has swallowed and slurped up a stray piece of lettuce. "I have our honeymoon reservations at the Ski Lodge in Yellowstone confirmed."

"What exactly are we going to be doing there again?" He asked.

She smiled. "Snuggling before a fire with hot chocolate, watching geysers from skis, enjoy ourselves for a week away from our family we have to tolerate for a whole day."

"I see. How do you ski there? I mean there are not any good hills…"

"Not downhill silly. Cross-country."

"I have never done that before."

"I did as a little girl. It will come back I am sure. Either that or we can snowshoe."

He smiled. "And the reception is when? Friday?"

"Yep. Tell the team they are expected to be there."

"Hey, if I have to be there, they have to be as my friends."

"You are the groom."

"And you're the bride, but I think it will be more fun for you."

"We will see." She said. She looked up behind him at a TV screen that had live news from the LA basin. "Oh my God." She gasped her hand going to her mouth.

He looked at her. "What is it?"

"There has been another school shooting…" She said looking down in horror.

"What?" He turned and saw the live footage of the kids on the run outside. He took a breath and then looked back at Espa as his phone rang.

"Columbine, Virginia Tech, and now this…it said there are eight dead and more than a dozen wounded…"

Don reached out and took her hand as he answered the phone. "Eppes." He said watching. "Yeah, I know. I am watching the news." He took a breath. "On my way." He shut his phone and looked at Espa. "You goin' to be all right?" He asked his voice concerned.

"Yeah. It's just that Lupe and Daddy are coming today. Welcome back to Los Angeles, huh?"

"Yeah, something like that." He kissed her gently before he started to walk to the door. "I will catch up later all right."

"Okay." She nodded and turned back to the TV.

Don went to the school and waited for SWAT to clear it. He then walked in as he took charge of the investigation smoothly. He ordered the evidence collected and a start of talking to the shaken kids.

The principal met him in the hall and told him that all the carnage had happened in just six minutes. Seven students had been killed and one teacher. Twelve more kids were wounded and at the hospital. The man was clearly in shock, but he went to get the lists of everyone there to help Don's team.

Megan had found one of the shooters near a closet. His clothing matched the descriptions of the shooters. There had been two. So it seemed a murder-suicide pack had gone bad. The boy was Paul Elins and he was a senior who had been absent that day.

Don walked into the closet where a girl was dead. Colby had found a backpack of the clothing in the trash. The second shooter just left with the crowd. Then came the worst part of the job for Don. The girl's cell phone rang and came up 'Dad'. After a moment of trying to decide what to do, Don picked it up and answered it. The man on the other line was shocked to be talking o a grown man. Then Don had to tell him the terrible news that his daughter was dead from a school shooting.

Looking into Paul Elins the kid was honor student and had received acceptance letters to half the Ivy League. However, the dark cloud had come when his parents divorced the year before. Disciplinary problems and depression had followed. He still needed a trigger though as a motive.

David found out the school IDs had a computer chip in them to track the movements of the kids using the same technology as packages. A bit Big Brother, but it seemed it would help them track student movements or at least help since it was not totally accurate because sometimes the kids left them at home or in the lockers. Still would narrow it down in the fifteen hundred kid school.

Don decided that they would use the information to track the students, but instead of they, he meant Charlie naturally.

He went home to track the 'Whiz Kid' down. He got there just as Espa pulled up and was levering herself out of her car. From the other cars there Amita and Larry were also there no doubt helping Charlie with some weird project.

He walked into the house taking some of Espa's load. Gretchen was at her heels walking along perfectly at heel to her mistress to the Eppes family home. Well, this home was becoming more like her home every day. Alan loved the little wretch and her antics as much as Don did.

Don opened the door and Gretchen jumped in and immediately went to the couch and jumped up where she had buried her last bone between the cushions. She dug a bit and found it stuffed under the back cushion and then started to chew it. Don just shook his head as he set Espa's things on the dining room table.

She disappeared after a quick kiss to her husband to go make the group some hot tea to sip on since it was a little chilly for LA.

Don walked into the garage holding some things he wanted Charlie to look at. "Hey." He said seeing Charlie, Larry, and Amita sitting around Charlie's chalkboards. He smiled a little to himself. Amita had been helping Espa with the reception planning too for seating. Espa and she had become fast friends and Espa had confided she was trying to fix up her and Charlie. Ah…his little match maker.

"Hmm. I got you thinking like a mathematician." Charlie said holding up some papers in evidence bags.

"Yeah, well…" Don said looking down as he sat on the table. He rubbed his head and sighed.

"However, I'm not too keen on your method. You see, there's a natural flaw in witness statements. And statistics show that memory is often unreliable." Charlie said walking about.

"Well, Charlie, that's all we got, so…" Don said standing up and looking at his watch.

Espa waddled in holding a tray with cream, sugar, and Splenda as well as five mugs of brewing tea. Don smiled at her as she set it down. She also had some Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies she had found in the freezer as a snack. Don loved the fact she out thought the need for brain food in discussions.

"Actually, you do have more than that." Charlie said.

"Neptune." Larry said from his perch on a stool before a chalkboard.

"Neptune? As in the planet?" Don asked looking men as Charlie moved to stand by Larry.

Espa gave Don his mug of tea with a spoon full of Splenda in it. He smiled a thank you as he listened to his brother and his mentor speaking.

"The discovery of Neptune occurred because scientists inferred its presence due to its gravitational force on other planetary bodies." Larry said.

Don's brow was knit as he listened trying to follow the parallel there. Espa sipped her tea and smiled as she touched it softly. He looked at her with an arched eyebrow.

She shrugged. "It's all Roman to me." She smirked and sipped her tea. He half smiled and sipped his own tea as the others took their own mugs.

"From the observable we can divine the unobservable." Amita said looking up from where she was working on her lap top.

"Right." Don said with a sigh and hr rubbed his head again.

"Remember that trick we did when we were kids?" Charlie asked.

Don cocked his head.

"The soap and pepper trick." Charlie said.

"Yeah, you have the pepper in the water, you put the soap in and the paper goes everywhere." Don said.

"Same principle. Except let's say the students are the specks pepper and the bar of soap are the shooters." Charlie said going behind them. Espa and Don turned to look at him. "The shooters arrive and just like the pepper, repelled in this case, by breaking surface tension, the students flee. They scatter in a predictable pattern."

"Yeah, how's that." Don asked sounding skeptical. Espa was listening too. Charlie's analogies were the only way his math made any sense to her.

"Using non-linear pursuit-evasion equations." Amita said behind them.

"Which is how predators pursue their prey." Larry said.

"Yeah, but wait you can see the soap." Don said looking at Charlie.

"Yeah. I mean aren't you trying to track something you can not see?" Espa asked.

"Here's the beauty of it." Charlie said. "Let's try this trick again, but this time with clear liquid soap. Now you can't see the soap, but the pepper behaves in precisely the same manner. It's just the same with out two students. Though they may be unobservable, it's the observable, the fleeing students, that will tell us not just how the shooters got into the school, but every single movement they made thereafter."

"That is interesting." Espa said. "Like a historian. You get the clues from what everyone said to deduce the past. Only you have to weed out everyone's bias when they are writing."

"Yeah, to a degree. Only we have the tracking system to help as well." Charlie said.

"Science, long may she reign." Espa said shaking her head with a smile.

Looking into the kids the team found that Elins belonged to a group of boys called the DMG, the Dark Matter Guild. It was a computer gaming group. The editor of the paper, Karen Camden did a profile on them a few months back and so they have the names of all the members. She was the other girl in the closet when the one girl was shot next to her.

Colby and David went to go talk to Greg Dietrich, the leader of the group of the gamers. He told them about the group. He told them about MMORPGs. They are massive multiplayer online role-playing games. The guild was in several of the RPG groups.

They questioned him about the shooting, which he claimed to know nothing about. However, he was sick with a 'cold' and seemed fine now. His parting words were that the DMG were gamers, not killers. He seemed appalled by what Elins did as well.

Megan went to Karen Camden's house. The girl was very shaken from seeing her friend killed, but tried to tell Megan that the DMG would not do something like this. She stayed in the closet afraid to move after nearly getting shot herself and watching Paul Elins die as well. She gave them a name. Justin Price. She did not care for him at all and he bragged about having a large collection of guns. He also talked about Columbine.

Megan, Colby, and David arrived back at the same time. Don was sitting in the war room looking at the crime scene photos.

Justin Price is a loner kid whose father is not in the picture and whose mother is away a lot. They found a picture of him with Paul Elins. The kid also had a juvie record. Seventy-seven kids who were supposedly absent, but they found forty-six of them were actually there.

Megan walked in with the ATF trace on the guns used. They belonged to John Price who is deceased, but Justin's uncle.

Charlie and Larry brought news that the first little bit they were able to find showed that the shooters came through the Southwest entrance of the school. According to the police report the Southwest metal detectors were down for maintenance, but the kids should not have known about that.

Larry recognizes the place where the picture was taken. It is an all night cyber café. The second shooter on the run would want to go somewhere comforting as a cyber geek and open all hours.

Don sent David and Colby to check it out. After clearing most of the kids out, they found him in the back room. He shot an automatic in an arch and then was taken down by the SWAT coming in the back door.

Don returned to his wife for the night, but left early the next morning. She was up already when he was done showering calling people to confirm for the reception in two days. They were renting tents due to the spotty rain.

Megan met with Don outside the building with news that that blood on Justin Price's boots matched the crime scene, but his weapons on him only matched two of the five kills he was supposed to do. So they had missing guns from the uncle's arsenal still to find and match. Don ordered surveillance on the other kids in the DMG to find the rest of the guns.

Charlie with Amita and Larry were trying to figure out why in their data some of the students were going back toward the shooters when they should have been running away.

Justin Price's mother came in to talk with Megan. She could not believe that her son did this. She also was not sure how to handle being the mother of a murderer who killed his fellow students. She also has no idea where the guns are because she asked her brother to get rid of them.

Charlie went to the school and re-walked the steps of Justin Price and found that it took twice the amount of time it should have. There was something missing and they needed to find out what.

Colby searched the storage locker that was rented in Justin Price's mother's name. She had no idea about it, but there was nothing there anymore. So the guns were still missing. They did find the security schedule for the school. Getting that would not be easy and yet the kid had gotten it. They also had downloaded blue prints of the school.

David had found and loaded a game they had found. It was like Doom, only more rough and the shooter was walking through a school shooting students. Justin Price had had it on his lap top and he was playing with Paul Elins the night before the shooting. A practice run? There were others playing as well, which disturbed them all the more.

Charlie came in with his lap top. He mapped the students' movements, but then he had more disturbing news from what he had found from the observable facts. There was a third shooter involved.

David and Megan returned to the school to get more information. The principal's hands were tied because of the parents of the rest of the DMG kids blocking the investigation into them with the courts.

Megan went to see Charlie at the school. After some words about the shooting and getting Charlie to look over public record data, Charlie and Amita made a quick exit. Larry asked Megan out for dinner.

Don left to pick up Lupe and Ysidro for Espa who was at a school meeting.

Ysidro smiled at him when they came out. "Good to see you, Don."

"You too, Dad." Don said taking his hand and then pulling him into a hug. He then saw Lupe grinning up at him.

He bent down and lifted her up in his arms. He grinned. "You have been growing a little, Munchkin." He kissed her cheek.

"Looks wet out there." Ysidro said looking out at the rain.

"Yeah, a little." Don nodded. He smiled and set Lupe down. He reached over and put his FBI jacket on Lupe who grinned. It was about six sizes too big, but she smiled at him.

"Thanks Don."

"Hey, I want it back." He grinned tousling her thick curls playfully. He pulled on his own jacket and handed Ysidro and umbrella. "You ready?"

"Sure." They said and they ran out into the rain. It was a downpour. Don laughed as little Lupe fell behind. He moved and picked her up, not minding the cool rain himself, and carried her to his suburban.

They arrived for dinner at the Eppes family home. It had stopped raining for the moment, but Don saw Lupe was wearing sandals. He picked her up out of the car ready to make a second trip back for the suitcases and things.

Espa came out with Alan. Both had big grins on their faces. Ysidro took Alan's hand and then hugged his daughter. They chattered in Basque a moment as Don stood back with Lupe hugging him.

Don finally set Lupe down on the steps. Espa smiled and hugged her sister before Alan laughed and picked the small girl up and carried her in. "I see you are now in the FBI." He said. "Good career choice." He said smirking back at his son.

Don went back and got the luggage and locked his car. He walked in and smiled as Alan had the two relax. Espa was standing her hands on her back watching. Don came up behind her and gently rubbed her back. "You, okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." She said with a smile.

Lupe went to her suitcase. She pulled Don's jacket off and gave it to him. "I have something to show you." She said with a grin.

Don cocked his head and squatted down beside her. She pulled out a denim jacket with her LA FBI patch sewn onto the left breast pocket. She grinned at him. "My favorite patch on my favorite coat."

He noticed all the other patches on the back and smiled. "That is cool, Munchkin. Come on, let's get some food, huh?"

She nodded and followed him to the table.

The next morning David and Colby found in the deleted school ISP files an e-mail warning the DMG kids about the shooting. It came from Gregory Dietrich's account.

Charlie was still working on the data. The route that shooter number three had taken was bizarre. Larry and Amita were puzzled by it as well.

Megan found that Gregory Dietrich had made a purchase of an evil twin kit that could hack into WI-FI networks and get sensitive data. That was how he got the information on the maintenance reports and the blue prints.

Colby and David went to pick up the kid. Gregory ran from them and ditched the bag he was carrying. David got the bag, Colby got the kid. They brought him in for questioning.

Don and Megan did the interview with Gregory's lawyer present. Gregory was found with a semiautomatic weapon. He shot off rounds in the woods, but he did not shoot up the school, but he knew what his friends felt how had. He was frustrated. He also admitted to having the blue prints for authenticity for his game. That disgusted Don.

Colby found out that his story that he did not send the e-mail checked out. He could not have sent it out while being in another place at the same time as the e-mail went out from a school computer.

Charlie goes into the FBI and shows that the shooter was not making regular patterns of shootings. Charlie put forward that a PDA was why. The shooter could have used one to track down specific students with the chip technology the school used for attendance. Megan also noted that the third shooter was letting kids by him. The skateboarder, the swim team captain and the quarterback all went down and the system would tell them where they were. The DMG had the capability and they had used it.

While Don spent time with his relatives that night, Larry and Megan went on their first date. Megan had called Espa to ask her what to wear. Espa had suggested a nice dress with her hair back. Megan did that. They ate at a Ethiopian restaurant on Fairfax and had a good time.

Don and Espa returned home after a night of last minute planning. He practically had to carry her to bed again. Tomorrow was the reception and he hoped the case would be over so his whole team would be able to join in and have fun.

At seven AM Don met Megan going into the building. He was shocked at the fact she and Larry went out, but her idea that they both doubt Gregory is the second shooter, and they should rather look at the victims' commonality and not the shooters, made sense to Don.

He asked Charlie to run it. The guys were all jocks or popular. They all were also at a party with Karen Camden. She has a connection to all the kids of the DMG. Suddenly pieces are falling into place. This explained why she was spared in the closet.

Megan found that Karen Camden had bought a WI-FI PDA three weeks before. That would allow her to trace where the kids were. Colby found that she had been at a hotel with Justin Price. Pretty girl could get a lot of things if she wanted if he was not used to it.

So Karen seduced Justin Price and talked him into breaking the murder-suicide pact with Paul Elins. She seems to almost be the mastermind of the whole affair pushing violent fantasy over the edge into reality, which is shocking only what was her motive?

The team dug deeper and found out all the guys shot were in a drug scandal and lost their scholarships before proven innocent. Karen Camden wrote the story on them.

Colby and Megan went to Karen Camden's home. They spoke to her mother who was convinced of her innocence. Then Karen came in and spoke that they all had raped her. The skateboarder had slipped something in her drink, the jocks took turns, and Becky had brought her there.

They arrested her for the murders she committed and then looked into trying to prove the rape. As it happened, the skateboarder had a picture of the rape on his phone of the only remaining jock alive that had been part of it.

Don sent them to go bring in the wrestling star. The kid tried to play if off as no big deal and that they had no evidence. They did and he tried to walk away before Colby took him down expertly. They arrested him and charged him with rape.

It was four PM. The team drove over to the Eppes home where people were already gathered, drinking and talking.

Don went into the house to read the paper and to change into his nice suit and tie. His team did the same and then went out and joined in.

Don listened at the window a moment as he heard a party game starting. The first question in the 'Newlywed Game' being hosted by Susanne Bosman was. "On your wedding night did Don wear his gun to bed with you?" There had been much laughter to that and even Don smirked.

Don walked down and picked up the paper that had just arrived. He looked at the front page where it talked about the three shooters.

"Where's Big Papa?" Charlie asked also wearing his best suit.

"Outside with the caterer." Don said with a grin.

"Ah, getting serious. What are you doing in here?"

"Trying to psyche myself up to going out and being with a bunch of people." Don said looking back at the paper.

"You never get enough?"

"Look, what do you want from me? I like seeing how they spin it, you know?"

Charlie went and dropped onto the couch. "You think anybody really knows how any of this stuff happens?"

"Definitely not." Don said shaking his head.

"I know that when I was in high school, I was so, uh, angst-ridden."

"Yeah. Well, I mean, you didn't shoot anybody."

"No, but there were days when I wanted to do, you know, real…real damage to, uh…" Charlie held up his fist and then looked down. "To you."

"To me?" Don asked looking up at him. "Hey, buddy, take your best shot." Don said. He then got up setting the paper down and grinning. "Come on."

Charlie laughed.

"Wait, I'll help you out. I'll get on my knees." Don said dropping down next to his brother as he stood up. Don grinned up at him. "Come on." He said putting up his fists playfully.

"I'm not a kid anymore." Charlie said.

Lupe came in having been sent to try to find Don and Charlie by Alan.

"All right tough guy, let's go." Don said seeing Lupe out of the corner of his eye. He grinned more. "Maybe we should step outside since there at ladies present." He said ready to play fight with his brother standing before him.

"All right. How about now?" Charlie asked putting his hand flat on Don's head.

"Let's go. Let's go." Don said playfully punching at Charlie, but stopping short of actually hitting him.

"How about now? Oh, there you go."

"Come on." Don jeered still playfully going. He reached higher and play slapped his brother's face.

"You ain't got nothing." Charlie said holding him back.

"All right, all right." Don said holding up his hands in surrender as Charlie lifted his own fists to play back. Don got up. "We have been sent for." He said nodding to Lupe who was grinning at them. He rose to his feet. "Hey, Munchkin."

She came over to him and hugged him about his waist. "Don." She laughed. She wore a pretty dress of light blue. He smiled and bent lifting her up into his arms. "Hi Charlie." She smiled as she leaned against Don's chest.

"Oh, I see big brother, has got you. Otherwise, I would have to tickle you." Charlie said lifting a finger.

She laughed and Don turned away running out toward the backyard sheltering her from Charlie's fingers. As they made an appearance everyone cheered and laughed.

Don looked over Lupe's head at his wife who was smiling at him and knew that he was happy and content having a wife, a baby on the way, and a little sister through marriage that he would not let date until she was older than he was now.


	11. Backscatter

**Backscatter**

574 million

Credit card accounts 

500 million

Dollars stolen annually 

16

Digits 

2

Phishers

Don pulled into the driveway of the Eppes family home. Don had told his brother he would buy him dinner as a thank you for setting up the WI-FI network that led to his bust today.

He took a breath. Espa as normal was already there. She had been thinking about cooking a pot roast for him, but it could wait a day. She was spending more time with Alan anyway. They seemed to be good for each other.

He walked in the door and saw her sitting on the floor with her legs stretched out and her hands on her belly watching a hockey game. He smiled. He really had rubbed off on her for that.

He set down his keys and walked over to her. He sat down in the chair beside her moving the sleeping lump of a dog and setting her back on his lap. He bent down and caressed the back of her head. She turned her head up to look at him. He kissed her deeply in welcome. He had not seen her since the morning and only talked with her once on the phone.

"How are you tonight, sweetheart?" He asked his hand moving to her cheek, his finger light as he caressed her.

"Good. How are you? You look tired." She said leaning against his thigh as he stretched out his legs.

"Only a bit." He smiled at her. He looked up as Charlie came in. "Ready to order?" He asked.

"Yeah. I want Italian." Charlie said.

Espa smiled.

Don ordered for them. They had about thirty minutes to wait for their food. Don disturbed the dog and put her in Espa's lap. He smiled and got a beer before settling back. He caressed his wife's neck idly. She sighed in pleasure as she leaned her head to the side as they watched the game.

"What is, uh, fishing, as it refers to computer hacking?" Alan asked as he got out the dishes to eat on.

Charlie brought out glasses. He cleared his throat. "Well, it's spelled with a P-H, and it's when people send out fake e-mails made to look like real e-mails from banks and financial companies. And then ask people for their personal account information."

"And some people are dumb enough to give it to them?" Alan asked.

"Yeah, they send out between seventy-five and one-hundred-fifty million of the things a day." Don said looking up. "Five percent respond."

"So that's three to seven million people daily, to the tune of five hundred million dollars a year." Charlie said

"Boy, those are scary statistics, let me tell you." Alan said.

The door bell rang. Gretchen woke and started to bark. Espa hushed her and she reduced to soft woofs and growling.

"Hey. Dinner." Don called. He got up. Espa turned setting Gretchen down on the chair and started to hoist herself up using the chair for balance as Don went to open the door.

"These guys they caught today stole two million bucks in three months." Charlie said.

"Really?" Espa said walking to them her hands on her back as she ached backward to counter the load of the baby before her.

"You're kidding." Alan said.

"Come on in. You can just put that right there." Don told the delivery girl as she carried in two sacks and put them on the table.

"Okay." The girl said. Her phone rang. "Excuse me."

"Hope its not meatballs." Alan quipped.

"I just want to check things out." Don said looking in the bags.

"That's enough. It's for everybody." Alan said.

"It smells good." Don said as his father took a back to the table.

"Mr. Eppes?" The girl asked as she put down her phone.

"Yeah?" He asked looking up.

"I'm sorry, the card you called the delivery on with was declined." She said.

"All right, hold on, let me try this one." Don said reaching into his wallet to pull out a different card.

"You know what? Let me get it." Charlie said walking toward them.

"No, no, no, no, I got it. I owe you." Don insisted. "That's so weird. I just paid that." He looked up at Espa as she walked in. "Right?"

"Your Mastercard? Yeah." She nodded. "I did bills a week ago."

"Hi, it's Becky…" The girl said as she went to call the other card in.

"You don't owe me, you know." Charlie said. "All I did was set up an amplified WI-FI signal. Any of your FBI techs could have done that."

"Hey, Charlie, these are busy people, you know? I would have had to wait. I appreciate it." Don said.

"All right, are you sure?" Charlie asked picking up the second back.

"Yeah, everything's here." Don said.

"Um, this card was declined, too." The girl said. "You might want to call your bank."

"What, are you kidding me?" Don asked.

"No. Sorry." The girl shrugged.

Espa waddled toward the front. "We can use one of mine from Idaho, Don." She said. "I mean we use them for emergencies and…"

"That's weird. Give me one second." Don said as he picked up his cell phone. Espa continued to move toward her purse.

Alan came over. "Here you go." He said.

"No, no, no, Dad, please." Don said. "Just give me a second here."

"All right, let me get this while you figure this thing out." Alan said grabbing Espa's arm to stop her.

"You're sure, Dad?" Espa asked.

"Yeah." Alan said pulling out his wallet. "How much is that?"

"Um, sixty-five dollars and thirty-five cents." The girl said picking up the ticket.

"You can keep all that." Alan said giving her cash.

"Thank you." The girl said and left.

"Okay." Alan said. He pressed a hand to Espa's back to direct her to the table. "Come on, honey." He said softly.

"I think that's yours, 'cause I would never eat something like that." Charlie said digging around and opening the boxes.

"I mean, that's ridiculous." Don said.

The other three turned to look at him.

"You know what? It's probably some glitch in the restaurant's computer." Charlie said.

Don walked forward listening to the messaging service for his bank. Espa watched his face.

"What is it, love?" She asked.

"What's up?" Alan asked.

"The bank's saying my accounts are empty." Don said in shock.

"Get out of here. Your checking account?" Charlie asked.

"Everything." Don said.

Espa cocked her head. "What?"

His phone beeped and he brought it down from his ear to read the text message. He blinked. "'Eppes, you got our guys. We got your money.' What the hell?"

Espa blinked. "Someone took your money out of the accounts?" She said her hand going to her belly.

"Yes…" He said looking at them all in shock.

The next morning Don sat at breakfast with his wife. He called and cancelled all his credit cards and had them reissued. He also called the bank.

"No, I didn't take all my money out. Ask my wife." He said sounding fustrated. Espa gently stood behind him and rubbed his shoulders trying to relax him. He knew they were fine with her salary to keep them a float, but he had no idea who would take the monies he earned. "Your system was hacked." He said. He looked up at his wife. "Because I am an FBI agent."

He hung up and sighed looking at her. "I am going to have to prove it. Can you keep checking on things for me?"

"Sure." She said.

He turned. She grabbed his tie and turned him around to face her. "Hey, easy honey." He smiled. She turned her face up. "Oh, sorry." He said gently. He kissed her and then left for the day.

He had the computer techs trace the phishers e-mails. They sent out four thousand and in a matter of hours they had a few hundred return e-mails from people. They were working from a list of people with high bank accounts and low usage. Seniors, who would respond.

Megan took on one and David the other. They thought they were getting off until they found out they would be going to jail for twenty years. They met too Russians who forced them to work for them. They got one thousand dollars per job only and a guy named Yuri took the rest.

Lieutenant Walker came in after hearing about the mob. He had been tracking a Russian named Yuri Koverchenko. LAPD has several open cases on him. He is illusive and normally stealth, but he is also deadly. He killed an entire family over an insurance scam that a doctor was going to plea out on.

Don still was not able to get his money back yet, but he was going to work on that while Charlie helped him.

Don and Megan went to Passina national to talk to their head of security. His team had three members. Lamont and Colleen. Colleen is also heavily pregnant and Don offers congratulations to her. Don asks for their personal files and the head of security's too as standard procedure. The man agrees readily and then offers to help Don get his money back fasted if he can.

Megan got a call. The two kids made bail and were gone from the holding area.

They were found out by the river. Both were shot execution style. The girlfriend who had picked them up was dead as well. Don had demanded that he find out if they made bail. The records said he was and he was not.

The man behind all this is damn intelligent and one hell of a hacker.

A man ID'ed as Ned Spope bailed the kids out of jail. He used a credit card that had been stolen from Don. The name Ned Spope was an anagram for Don Eppes as well. This Yuri was turning this case into a case about Don. Also he was going to be looking for new workers as well.

Charlie was able to use several computers and Amita to use backscatter to track back to find an address. Don, David, and Walker all went to the industrial park where it was coming from.

Charlie used the information to teach some grad students. Meanwhile, Don led a raid on the address Charlie gave them. They went in and found nothing. Charlie's class translated the last bit of code using alphabet cipher. –Wer waiting for u –

Don found an explosive. As it went off they all dove for cover as a humvie came through the door and men started firing at them with semiautomatic rifles. David was hit in his shoulder. It was a total trap. The humvie got away as Don and Colby went to care for David who was wounded, but not seriously.

David was taken to the hospital. He was stable without much damage. Don sent Espa to check on him after she proctored an exam. He was glad for the momentary company.

Don wanted to go over with the rest of team how and why it went down. Charlie came in and pointed out it was a setup and he was partly to blame because the person led him where he wanted Charlie to go. Charlie wanted to start to try an answer why with team theory.

Don met with Gary Walker who had just come back from seeing David and meeting Espa Eppes who was on her way out. Gary thought maybe there was a power struggle in the mob or something, but then he admitted to Don that he really thinks this is about Don. The mob will come after his co-workers and family to prove his point who is in control.

Espa was drinking tea watching Amita and Charlie work in the garage.

"So besides the hacker, how many players are on the other side?" Amita asked.

"That's an unknown variable." Charlie said writing on the board. "We'll try our first approach with three. The hacker, the Yuri character, and the third will be a super category for all the others."

Espa heard the door open. She turned around and saw Don walk in. He walked to her and kissed her softly. She could tell he was tense about something. He hugged her briefly and then nodded to the other two.

"Hey." Don said to them.

"Hey." Amita said

"Hi. Hey, I hope you have some new data. I could use some." Charlie said turning.

"Well, actually, no, Charlie. Ther's been a change. So…" Don said. He walked to him avoiding Espa's eyes.

"Okay, what kind of change?" Charlie asked.

"Well, the Bureau wants a unit on this that's more familiar with the Russian Mob." Don said.

"Because of the ambush? You're being taken off this case because I missed something." Charlie said.

"No, no, it's just these things happen. It's nothing." Don said.

Espa looked at Amita who looked back at her.

"I…I've just now begun working on the team theory analysis." Charlie protested.

"Well, I'm off it, so you're off it." Don said. "Okay?"

Espa looked at her husband's profile. He looked tired and stressed. She wanted to hold him, but she knew from how he was speaking that would be a while coming.

"So please, do me a favor, and just pack this stuff up." Don continued. "I'm gonna send someone over to get it." He said turning back to his wife. "Come on, honey. I need to get you home."

"But I…" She began.

"It can wait Espa. I need you home now." He said. "All right. I'll see you guys later."

Espa let him lead her to the car. "Is Gretchen here?" He asked.

"No, she's at home." She said. "What is going on?"

"Nothing." He forced a smile. "I just want some of the pot roast you cooked for me. It's about done now isn't it?"

Espa's phone rang. She picked it up. "Hello?"

"Espa. Don't indicate it is me." Charlie said.

"Oh, hi Susanne." Espa said looking over at her husband's look. He started to drive. "So what is up, girl?"

"Don lied to me. He is still lead agent. I am not sure why he is doing this. I was suspicious that he was way too calm about letting go of the case."

"Really…oh yes a black dress is always good for that." Espa said offering a smile in her husband's direction. "Well, why on earth would he do that?" Don arched an eyebrow. "I mean white roses instead of red…men."

Don scoffed.

"She heard that." Espa said giving him a coy smile.

"Something is wrong Espa. See if you can find out what." Charlie said.

"Of course I would do that. Who doesn't like food from there? Okay, my dear. I must go. The husband needs to talk to me. Good night."

"Well played Espa. Good night." Charlie said and hung up.

She looked at Don who concentrated on the road more than normal. She could practically hear the clogs going in his head as he thought. "So Charlie told me earlier that you were shot at and that it was his fault."

"First of all, it was not his fault. He followed the evidence." Don said looking at her. "And yes…I was in the area of shooting."

"David was hit Don. I mean I saw his arm. You sent me there. What happened?" She reached over and touched his leg. "Tell me."

He sighed. "Yes, I was shot at. But I am okay, all right. David is okay, too."

"All right." She nodded sensing he really did not wish to talk about it further right now. He would open up in his own time as he always did with her.

After they had come home and had dinner, Don made love to her gently, but he seemed to be concentrating harder on it than he had for a while as though he were loosing himself in the rhythm. After he held her close, burying his face in her hair, as they lay like spoons in a drawer. She knew he was still awake though his stroking of her hip and belly had stilled. He was deep in thought. She soon fell asleep under his watchful eye.

Don and Megan went the next morning to talk to the head of security at Passina National. The other members of his team were gone and Megan noticed. He told them they were out with sick kids and Colleen was working from home because of the baby coming.

Charlie was at school teaching in a lecture hall. He turned and noticed two strange men there watching him and the class. He decided to change the subject and see how the group would go about calling for help. His phone did not work so he sent four kids to fetch campus security and time themselves.

The strange men got up and left, but Charlie had memorized what they looked like.

Espa had just gotten out of the shower when she heard the door open. Thinking it Don, she kept drying her hair, keeping it wrapped in a towel. She was in a T-shirt and some maternity shorts getting ready for her day.

She heard Gretchen growling and barking in the next room and then heard her yelp. She got up curious as she heard the bathroom door slam hard. She was starting to get a weird feeling as she stepped into the hall with her bare feet.

"Don?" She asked.

She tiptoed down the hall toward the living room. A man whipped out in front of her. She gasped and tried to turn around to go back to the bedroom and find her Walther. She turned into a beefy man who stepped from the closet.

Gretchen was scratching at the bathroom door and growling knowing there was trouble. Espa looked at them. "What do you want?" She screamed turning to the first man.

He just nodded to the second man who brought out his nine millimeter handgun and slapped it hard into her temple. The towel dropped from her head as she blinked and fought the hazy vision she had suddenly. A bit of blood came from a scratch and oozed down her cheek to the floor in a small steady stream.

Espa saw stars as she dropped to her knees stunned before the man clapped a hand on her month and pinched her nose. She could not breathe. She fought down her panic, but then after a moment things started to get wavy and then finally they went black.

She dropped backwards into the second guys arms and she was dragged into the closet.

Don arrived on scene to check on Charlie. He had tried to call his wife. She had not answered her phone. He thought she was in a class and that was why. He put in a call to the secretary to contact him when she was out because she was doing a final.

"You've never seen them before?" Don asked.

"No." Charlie said leaning against the chairs as the other FBI agents looked about the room. Charlie had dismissed his class as soon as the men had left and went out to call his older brother.

"They were in your office?"

"Yeah." Charlie said watching his brother pace. "There were files on the floor. My team theory work."

"I mean, obviously, they wanted to know what you were working on." Don said. His phone rang. "Eppes."

"Agent Eppes. This is Dorothy Lane, the History department secretary. I am not sure how to tell you this sir, but your wife didn't come in to proctor her exam. The kids all came in to ask me what to do. Do you know where she is?"

"I will get back to you." Don said passing in his pacing to look at Charlie. "Oh, Charlie…" He pulled out his phone shaking his head. "Oh, my God. Espa!" He ran for his car.

"And my work at the house." Charlie said following him.

"That is not as important right now as making sure Dad and Espa are all right." Don called his father. "Hey, Dad. I am sending a couple of agents over to look around. I think there may be a problem, but I am not sure. I am going to pick up Espa to bring her there, okay. Thanks."

He called the agents over to his brother's home. He drove at full speed to his apartment with a SWAT team since Espa was not answering her phone, which now concerned him greatly.

Don went up the stairs and found the door leaning against the latch. It was not even closed. He took a breath to calm his worry as he drew his Glock and had two SWAT members go in first.

"FBI!" They called as Don came in after them. Don picked up a wet towel and saw the blood on the floor. He touched his fingers to it. It was not yet tacky. He took a breath fearing she was kidnapped. The men went about clearing the home. They opened the bathroom where Gretchen was barking and howling and scratching at the door.

She ran out and growled at everything. Don sighed and picked her up. "Hey…where is mommy? Did they take her?" God, he hoped not.

Gretchen was squirming so hard in his arms he set her down. She went to the small closet and scratched at the door and whined. Don watched her as did another agent. He knelt down. "Sir, we got blood spatter."

Don's heart went to his throat. Had they killed her? He nodded to the man and they opened the door. Espa's form fell from the closet, bound hand and foot and gagged. She screamed against the gag until Don came into her vision.

He helped her sit upright. He hugged her as the fellow agent released her hands and then started on her ankles. She wrapped her arms around Don as he pulled off the gag. "Shh…" He whispered as she sobbed in relief that he had found her. He hugged her to him. "It's, okay. I'm here now."

"No, sign of them, sir." Another agent said.

Don nodded as he pressed a hand to her head to hold her. She yelped. He pulled back his hand and looked at it. It was sticky with blood.

"I need an ambulance!" Don barked.

"No. I don't need one!" Espa grunted. "I am fine."

"You're bleeding. You're pregnant. You were attacked. Seriously, do I need more of a reason?" Don took her face in his hands careful not to get her blood on her cheek. "I say you are going."

"I will go when you make sure Dad is, okay."

"What makes you think they will go after Dad?"

"Well, seems logical to me. Attack the wife, attack the rest of the family. What about Charlie?"

"He's in the car."

"I will make you a deal. We can treat my pounding headache and the blood after I know Dad is, okay, all right. You can drag me there yourself."

He looked at her. "All right." He nodded and helped her up. He took the towel and pressed it to her temple still thinking this was a bad idea. He wanted her looked at for her own sake and that of the baby in her.

He helped her down the stairs and into the car. Charlie saw the blood and jumped into the back seat with her to hold her head in his lap and press the cloth to her brow. "Just hold it there." Don said as he drove quickly to the Eppes family home with his siren going much to the pain of his wife who had her eyes closed trying to block it out as Charlie tried to help by cupping her ear and pressing the other to his thigh.

Don jumped out and helped Espa down. He walked with her into the house and had the agent sit with her as he made her press the towel to her wound.

"Dad!" He called.

Espa yelped and winced.

"Yeah." Alan asked coming downstairs. "Mother of God!" He gasped seeing Espa with blood on the towel she held softly talking to the agent before her.

Charlie and Don looked about the house and then went into the garage.

"Ahh, yeah, everything looks okay here." Charlie said looking about.

"You did all this?" Don asked looking at the pile of files on the desk.

"Yeah." Charlie said

"Uh, someone mind telling me what's going on?" Alan asked joining them after Espa told him she was all right. She just needed some Tylenol and some soft music.

"Have you seen anyone hanging around the house?" Charlie asked him.

"No. Should I have?" Alan asked. "Donnie what is wrong with Espa?"

Don did not hear him, his eyes were looking on the floor. He squatted down and pulled out his keys to pick something up. "Dad, when was the last time you smoked a cigarette?"

"1979." Alan answered looking at him. "What does that have to do with your wife bleeding from her head?"

Don sighed and picked up the cigarette butt and sniffed it. He shook his head and pulled out his cell phone. This man Yuri had gone after his entire family. Don was not sure what to make about that. His worst nightmare had come true. His family was suffering because of his job.

Within ten minutes Don had an ambulance on the way for his wife and a few dozen agents around the home.

The Eppes men were in the front room talking. Well, talking was not the word. Espa was lying on the couch with a pillow between her knees and gauze on her brow as she tried to rest, but could not with her family arguing about her.

"Explain how a mathematician ends up on a case involving the Russian Mafia?" Alan asked his elder son.

Don spread his hands as he paced. "I told him to drop it."

"You know he can't just drop that stuff!" Alan barked.

"Hey, I'm standing right here, okay?" Charlie was the calmest of them. "So talk to me."

"Did I tell you to drop out?" Don was yelling out of frustration and fear for his family. He had never put them in danger before and he never wanted to again. He was angry that he had not been there for them, but his anger was projecting out now. "Now, you endangered yourself, you endangered Dad, and you endangered Espa and the coming baby!"

"Well, you lied to me." Charlie said.

"Yeah, to protect you!" Don said trying to stare him down.

Espa sat up. "Don…" She muttered. He was to the point of not hearing her gentle voice of reason at the moment. She looked at her husband. In all black, heated, and angry he was a force to be reckoned with. He also was damn sexy she noted, but she kept that to herself.

"All right, just tell us what we should do…" Alan started.

"Nothing!" Don said.

"…and Charlie and I will do it." Alan continued.

"I don't want you to do anything, all right? I got agents here twenty-four-seven. All right, please…" Don looked at them.

"I can still help you. Come on!"

"No, listen to me. Let me make this as clear as possible." Don said. "You're not working this anymore, you understand me?" He glared at his brother.

"You can't tell me what I can't do." Charlie said.

"Yeah, Charlie, when if comes to the FBI, I certainly can!" He looked over as the paramedics came in to see to Espa. "You're done, you hear me, you're done!" He walked over to his wife as the paramedics knelt be her and took her vitals.

They gently eased her after a few moments onto the stretcher and put up the guards. They lifted it up to its height and Don took Espa's hand. "I'm, okay."

"No, you're not." He said looking and seeing how pale she was. He kissed her hand and walked with the stretcher to the ambulance. They loaded her up and he jumped lightly into the ambulance as one paramedic climbed in with him and the other started the engine and called it in.

"We have a pregnant female Caucasian, about one-hundred-fifty pounds and about five foot three. ETA ten minutes."

Don took a breath and rubbed his face as he watched the man take her blood pressure and look at her arms.

"You the husband?" The paramedic with them asked.

"Yeah." Don sighed.

"You are a lucky lady. An FBI agent for a husband." He said as he pulled off the gauze and put a new bit there as it continued to bleed a little.

Don took Espa's hand again careful to not disturb her nails in case she got a piece of her attacker or attackers. He looked away when the jabbed in the needle to start an IV. "She going to be all right?" He asked.

"Yeah. She's fine. Just needs some fluids and stitches." The paramedic said.

"Stitches." He muttered.

Espa smiled at him and he looked down at her his dark eyes full of concern masking the hatred he felt for the men who had done this. "You are pretty damn cute when you are angry." She said trying to lighten his mood a little. "Your scar is really easily seen." She said lifting her other hand to touch the left side of his face where the scar where he had been hit by flying debris a couple of years ago was.

He just stared at her not in a mood for a battle of wits nor did he want to hear that.

Don met with Gary Walker at the office after Espa had been released from the hospital. He was not sure what to make of the doctor telling him he needed a 'chill pill' as far as the baby was concerned. Espa got three stitches in her brow and it bound before she was sent home with him. He took her home to the Eppes family home after picking up Gretchen at the home and a bag of clothing for his wife. He was not about to stretch his agents thin in two places and Espa with Alan and Charlie was the best place for her. They could wait on her while she rested. He had demanded she relax and keep her feet up for a few hours. He had called into the school to advise them she would not be in for a couple days because of health problems.

Gary and Don were stunned that Koverchenko had made a move to target not only Don, but his family also. It was a big step for someone to go from threatening a man's brother and father to threatening a man's pregnant wife and unborn baby. Koverchencho had declared war and Don was ready to meet him at the challenge.

Colby suggested that Charlie could help them, but Don refused to expose his family to any more of this.

David had Espa, Alan, Amita, and Charlie in the garage. His arm was bound in a sling, but he still wanted to be involved with the case. Otherwise, he was on leave, here, he was doing something, even if it was babysitting. Charlie was working on the chalkboard. David realized in short order that Charlie was still working on what his brother told him not to with Amita. Alan idly played with the air hockey board. Espa was relaxing on the couch where Alan had set her with a cup of mint tea.

For a nice guy, Alan had very head strong kids, but David soon yielded and let Charlie work realizing that the math whiz was going to work on it anyway. David and Alan played air hockey. Alan faked out David, which brought up a thought to Charlie. What if all the attacks on the family and Don were bluff to hide Yuri Koverchenko's real goal?

Don would not listen so Charlie calls Walker to tell him. Gary met Don outside the FBI building saying he tried something a little un orthodox. He tried a mathematician for help. He pointed out to Don there was no going back after what Koverchenko did. Don had to get him with everything he had to save his family.

Don finally agrees and meets Charlie upstairs to hear the plan. The team theory work is like football with the teams trying to guess each others moves. The pattern Charlie found started the day Don captured the phishers. All leads go back to Passina National Bank.

Don and Gary waited in a truck for the head of security to come out. He is the key to it all. Two agents threw him onto the truck where Don and Gary were sitting. They had him talk. They know that his co-workers have been kidnapped. The man is scared, but he decides the FBI is his best bet since they can help him. He can go with Yuri's plan as well.

Don returned to the Eppes house and crawled into bed with his sleeping wife. He had to be up early the next morning and he needed to feel her with him before he went after the man who had hurt her.

The next morning Don and his team watched the hacker go to work and steal almost a half billion dollars in eight hours. The head of security was able to get the hacker's cell phone. Charlie then called him to distract him so he would call Yuri Koverchenko.

Colby went in with his team to bust the hacker. He then called Koverchenko to tell him he was done. FBI agents stormed the place and Koverchenko ran taking a shotgun with him. He fired twice at Don as he ran after him and fired back. Megan freed the two hostages.

Gary came out from behind a door and punched Kovercheno knocking him flat so Don could cuff him. Don watched the hostages go. Colleen with her pregnant belly made him think of his own wife as he watched them go. He swallowed. He was looking forward to going home to her, making move to her, and talking to her about his fears. He finally had convinced himself he needed to open up about why he had been edgy through this case. It was not so much the anger he had to explain, but the fear.

"Hello?" Don called as he walked into the dining room of the Eppes family home.

"Hey, Don." David said from where he was seated looking at a framed picture.

"Hey, David." Don said coming to him.

"Our team found the guy who was watching the house." David said.

"I heard all about it. Good job. Thanks." Don said giving him five. "Look, man, you don't have to hang out here, you can take off."

"That's okay. I think your dad wanted me to hang around." David said looking toward the kitchen.

Espa came down the stairs and then waddled to her husband. Don touched her head gently and sighed. He then smiled and pulled her against him and kissed her softly. "How are you doing?" He asked.

"Good." She said. "I do not have a raging headache anymore."

Alan came out from the kitchen. Don and Espa turned. Espa smiled as did Don. "Hey, what do you think? What do you think?" Alan asked.

"Oh, I see why you're hanging around." Don chuckled.

Hey, what's up?" Charlie asked as he set down his handful of food.

Espa went to sit at her place. There was no place for Don yet because none of them had been expecting him until later.

"There you go, Agent Sinclair." Alan said. "And there's a lot more where that came from."

"All right. Thanks, Mr. Eppes."

"He gets the treatment, huh?" Don said removing his jacket as David picked up a slice of meatloaf.

"Dig in. Dig in." Alan said taking a piece for himself.

Don dropped into a seat across from his wife and sighed. He rubbed his face and sighed again. "I got to tell you, that was a crazy couple of days. I mean, It's good we all came out of it all right…"

Espa let Alan dish her up some food as she watched her husband.

"It would appear to be so." Alan agreed.

"In a million years I never would have imagined that. You?" Don asked David who shook his head.

"I think Charlie would say it was a statistically possible, but unlikely event." Alan said.

"Yeah, I'm thinking maybe Charlie should just work at Cal-Sci, Dad." Don said as he bit his finger lightly as he watched his father.

"You're gonna fire him?" Alan asked.

"Oh, does that go for me too?" Espa asked arching an eyebrow knowing full well her connections to the FBI trumped him by several layers.

"Look, I'm the first to admit he's done an amazing job for us. Right, but…Wouldn't it put your mind at ease?" Don asked his father ignoring his wife, for now.

"Donnie what would put my mind at ease would be to see you two boys working together." Alan said. Don sat with his arm on a chair. He cocked his head a little considering that a moment. "Besides, you don't seriously think you're going to get him to stop, do you?"

"Nah, I guess not." Don said. He smiled at his wife. "Hey, Chuck, you need some help back there?" He called into the kitchen. "Come one Suzy Homemaker, we're ready to eat." He said getting up and disappearing behind the kitchen door.

Espa smirked after him.

"Comeon, come on. Go on, Go on eat, eat, eat." Alan said to the other two.

"I have to say, Mr. Eppes…" David said.

"Alan." Alan corrected.

"Alan. I've never seen two brothers so completely different and yet so much alike." David said.

Espa laughed at that.

"If you call me Chuck one more time…" Charlie threatened as he came out of the kitchen with a pot of food.

Don was right behind him holding a place setting and a beer. "All right. How about Chuckie."

Alan looked at David. "Tell me about it."

Espa laughed all the more.

"Chuckie. What if I called you Donald?" Charlie asked setting the food down.

"What if I called you nerd?" Don countered as he set his place setting down and grinned at his wife who was laughing so hard she could not sit on the chair well anymore.

"What if I called you G-man?" Charlie hissed back.

"Boys…" Espa finally managed as she tried to take a drink of water. "Keep that up and I will fall to the floor laughing too hard."

Don smirked. "Oh, we can't have that." He said playfully and then winced as a well placed kick from his wife connected with his shin. "Oh, feisty…" He grinned at her. "See the abuse I get David." Don laughed as he caught her foot for the second kick under the table and grinned at her and clicked his tongue at her as they all laughed.


	12. Phantoms and Demons

**Phantoms and Demons**

72

Hours

6

Bullets

4

Dead

1

Shooter

There were only three days until Christmas Eve. The Eppes family was getting ready for Christmas. Don had little Lupe balanced on his shoulders as she put the star on the tree. She was staying with them over the holidays since Ysidro had to go back east for a meeting and project that was due the first of January.

Alan walked in with milk and cookies on a tray. Lupe sat down on Don's shoulders and held on around his chin as she leaned over and held him. He looked up at her and made a face.

Espa was sitting on the floor with Charlie pulling out ornaments from her childhood as well as from the Eppes family.

"This is nice. We are all a family at Christmas time." Alan said as he dropped onto the couch looking at the tree with the candles and ornaments.

"Are you going to put the glass pickle up?" Lupe asked her sister.

"Why a glass pickle?" Don asked.

"What is the significance of that?" Charlie asked Espa.

Lupe gave an exasperated sigh. "Boys…" She muttered as she shook her head.

Alan smirked, but covered it with a cough as his sons looked at him. Lupe was a handful for both of the men who truly had no idea what to do with her at times.

Don sighed and lifted her up and flipped her upside down looking at her. He cocked his head. "Are you a monkey, Munchkin? I mean why are you hanging around?"

She laughed and tried to grab him. He held her out at arm's length and then flipped her back up and onto her feet with ease. He held her a moment to make sure that she was all right on her feet before going to sit near his wife.

Espa was holding up a little blue bell and smiling softly.

Don leaned down. "What is that one from?"

"It was my Dad's, father's." She said. "It was always on the tree as long as he could remember."

"You guys have ornaments from every year?" Charlie said lifting up a 'Baby's First Christmas 1978'.

Don took it and looked at his wife. He had known his wife was young, but it suddenly hit him that he was almost eight years older than she was. He looked at her as she smiled at Charlie as he pulled out another one and pushed her hair back in a deft unconscious movement that always caught her husband's attention. Her bronze flawless face with no sigh of age yet was perfect. He had truly robbed the cradle marrying her.

He sighed as his phone rang. He pulled it out. "Eppes." He said noting all eyes were on him. "Yeah…all right…I will be there as soon as I can." He hung up and looked at his family. "Got to go to work."

"You have Christmas off right?" Alan asked.

"I hope so." Don nodded and stood up. He bent and kissed his wife and then smiled at her. She looked a little paler than normal, but maybe it was the light. He held his arm out and Lupe got up and hugged him. "You be good, okay, Munchkin." He said smiling down at her.

She nodded. "I will."

Don then walked toward the door. "See you guys later." And with that he was gone.

David met him on scene. A Catholic priest had been shot with a high velocity rifle round through his chest. He lay in a pool of blood against the church door. Don was stunned. This close to Christmas and someone was attacking church leaders?

He looked up at David. "The locals gave us the case. It is the third shooting, and second death in twenty-four hours."

Don sighed. "Well, start canvassing." He said and sighed as he looked about. He then looked down and saw Ian Edgerton standing there looking up at the surrounding buildings. "Ian…welcome back to sunny LA." He smirked looking up at the cloud cover above them.

"Yeah, well, I needed to get out of Quantico." Edgerton said. "Well, looking at the trajectory, I would say it came from the eighth story of that building." He said pointing.

"This makes no sense. Why kill a priest?" Don asked looking about. No one was really around.

"Two priests dead, and a Lutheran Minister wounded." David said.

"We have a serial killer." Ian said.

"Yeah, and right before Christmas." Don said with a sigh.

Their only lead they had was a man that someone had seen on the roof. He was young. When Don went to his house to question him the kid bailed out of the window to the fire escape.

Don followed him out and yelled for him to stop for the FBI. The kid made it to the street. He ran down the sidewalk with Don and Megan in hot pursuit. He dodged around cars, but then was hit by a moped and dropped to the asphalt.

Don arrested him and they took him in for questioning. Unfortunately, he had a solid alibi for the first shooting. He also had an alibi for the time of the other shootings he was up on the roof with a girlfriend. She verified his story and was embarrassed to admit she had been sneaking around, but she was eighteen and he was twenty.

Back to square one.

Espa was in the kitchen getting things thawed out for dinner. She took a breath as she suddenly felt light headed. She shook her head and went back to slicing vegetables on the cutting board.

A moment went by and she was better, but as she turned to go grab something from the fridge she saw blackness come into her vision. She gasped as she reached for the counter, but missed it. Her hand grabbed the cloth where some of the dishes from breakfast were drying and they fell with her as she dropped to the floor suddenly unconscious.

Lupe had pushed open the door to see what was wrong. She tiptoed in. "Mouse?" She asked. "Mouse!" She said seeing her sister on her side in a strange mangle of limbs and broken dishes. She took a breath and then screamed at the top of her lungs that would have cuddled the blood of most human beings. "GRANDPA!"

Alan came running down the stairs followed closely by Charlie. Lupe whimpered as Alan walked in. He knelt down and looked at her and then followed her gaze. "Mother of God! Charlie!"

Charlie came in. "Dad?"

"Call 9-1-1 and get her away from here!" His father ordered as he dropped to his knees and rolled Epsa onto his lap. He felt for a pulse. It was fast, but there. He took a sigh of relief as He tried to shake her awake gently talking to her.

Charlie had his cell phone out as he held Lupe in his other arm after having to pry her from the scene. "Yes, I am Charlie Eppes. I have an emergency. I live at 874 Hunter Street. My sister-in-law is pregnant and unconscious….Thank you." He said and then turned to Lupe who was looking at him her eyes bright with tears. "Hey, it's okay. She is fine."

"Liar." She snapped at him and folded her arms looking at him as she tapped her foot.

"Okay, but I'm sure she will be." He said trying to calm her. He knew how to handle her even less than Don did. He was sure his older brother would have his hands full if he was here now. Well, if he was here now he would be in with Espa and Charlie would still be stuck with the small twelve year old.

Alan held Espa against him checking her over from broken bones and skin. Finding none he gently held her to him trying to relax himself as he heard the distant whine of the sirens from the local fire station.

Within moments the paramedics were in the house and they took control of the situation with ease. A fireman, who was clearly a father, knelt down before Lupe and smiled at her. "Hey, your Momma is okay. She just needs to go to the doctor." He said gently.

"She's not my Momma." Lupe sniffled as she held herself. Charlie looked at the man helplessly.

"Oh, sorry." The man said. He removed his helmet revealing his bald head. "I'm Rob." He said. "My oldest girl is about your age."

"Really?"

"Yep." Rob nodded. He pulled out a stuffed bear from his fireman's coat. He offered it to her and watched her take it and hug it to her for comfort. "There you are." He gently touched her forehead. "Can you tell me what you saw, precious?" He asked.

Her dark tear filled eyes looked at him. "I heard a crash and then saw her lying there. Don's not here and…Is…is she…."

"No, she's not dead. Both her and the baby are all right." Rob said. "Who's Don?"

"Don works for the FBI." She said drawing herself up a little with pride. "He's her husband and my big brother."

"Ahh…you are going to need to call him, all right?" He cupped her chin as the men wheeled out Espa on a stretcher with oxygen on her face and an IV started. Alan was following closely behind. "I have to go, but I need a favor."

"What, Mr. Fireman?" Lupe asked.

"I need you to be a strong little lady, okay. Help these guys out while we take care of your sister."

"Can I see her?" Lupe asked as Charlie laid a hand on her.

Rob shook his head. "You can see her at the hospital." He said. He stood up. "Call Don for us." He said. He nodded at Charlie and followed Alan out the door.

"Thanks, Mr. Fireman." Lupe waved after him.

Charlie picked up at his phone to call Don as he took Espa's hand to drive to the hospital after the ambulance.

Alan rode holding Espa's hand gently. Her eyes started to flicker. "I think she's coming to." He said softly. He bent down a little. "Esperanza." He said gently. "Honey, you all right?"

"Where am I?" She asked and tried to move away as a paramedic shined a light into her eyes to watch her pupils dilate.

"On your way to the hospital, Mrs. Eppes." The paramedic said. "You took a nice fall and they want to make sure the baby is all right."

Her eyes flashed worry to Alan who smiled in reassurance, though he did not feel it just then.

Don was at the crime scene of a fourth victim, who also was a pastor, this time Presbyterian, who had been shot in the shoulder. The rifle had missed his head by inches and so the shooter shot again.

Edgerton said it was most likely because he thought someone would see him. They were waiting for Charlie to show up when Don got a call.

"Hey, Charlie, where the hell are you bro?"

"The hospital." Charlie said.

"What?" Don asked as he pulled off his sunglasses to stare out into space where he stood in the shade.

"Yeah, look Don, you need to get to Good Samaritan Hospital."

"Why? What is it?" Don asked.

Alan's voice came into the background. "Let me talk to him. Donnie?"

"Yeah, Dad, what is going on?"

"Donnie. It's Espa…she fell and…"

"I'm on my way." Don's look of concern was not lost on Edgerton who stood near him.

"Donnie it is not…"

"I'm on my way." Don said. He turned to Edgerton. "I have to go. My wife is in the hospital."

"Your wife?" Edgerton blinked. "When did you…"

"I have to go, okay?"

"I'll drive." Edgerton said taking the keys from Don.

"What the…"

"You are in no condition to drive." Edgerton looked over at Colby. "We have to take care of something. Don's wife is in the hospital. Report to us if you get anything."

"Sure…" Colby said as the two sped away

By the time Don and Edgerton were able to make it through traffic it was dinner time and Espa was in a wheelchair signing papers.

Don rushed to his wife's side and squatted down beside her his hands going for her hand and face at the same time. She managed a weak smile as he looked over.

"Donnie." Alan said. He saw Edgerton sticking to the background. "Who is this?"

"Agent Ian Edgerton." Charlie said from where he stood leaning on the back of Espa's wheelchair.

Don looked at Espa trying to find something wrong that would justify her being here. She touched his cheek. "I'm, okay." She said softly.

"No, you are not, okay." Alan corrected. Don looked up at him. "She has pre-eclampsia. And she has been ordered onto a couple of days bed rest."

Don's eyes flicked to Espa who just sighed. He wanted that in English. "I have a bit of hypertension is all."

"It made you pass out, Espa." Alan said folding his arms to watch her. He knew she was trying to put on a brave face and not tell her husband, but by Don's look he was seeing right through it anyway.

She looked up and offered her bandaged hand. "Agent Edgerton. I have heard about you. I wish I could have met you under better circumstances."

"Yes." He said taking her hand gently to shake it, careful not to hurt her. He smiled a little. "I see you have a baby on the way your husband neglected to tell me about."

"I am not really the main focus when he is at work."

"Well, to be fair he did not mention you either." Edgerton said eyeing Don as he straitened, holding his wife's hand in his.

"Sorry, I would have gotten around to it. It was just with the people killed and…"

Edgerton raised his hand. "Hey, I get it. I will see you at the office once you get your wife settled."

"Thank you, I owe you." Don said with a sigh.

Don went back to the office an hour later. He went with Charlie and Lupe. Lupe wanted to go see a choir practice and since Espa was no longer able to go, she decided to go by herself with Don's number for when she was done and he could pick her up again.

She was back to her bubbly self when her sister was home safe and sound and only needed rest. Alan was at home caring for the pregnant woman who did not like the idea of being forced to lie in bed for a couple of days.

Don watched Lupe bounce into the church to hear the choir sing.

Don and Charlie arrived at the office and were disappointed to find that there was not much data for Charlie to use to work on an equation to help them stop a killer.

A couple hours later, the choir concert was over and Lupe had befriended the Episcopalian vicar as he worked in his garden. She had tired to call Don, but had gotten his voice mail and so she waited with the man.

She helped him pull weeds as the sun was dropping behind the large mature trees around the vicarage. He smiled appreciating the help. "Where is your parents, child?" He asked.

"Oh, Dad is in New York. My brother is going to pick my up soon. When he looks at his voicemail." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I hope he didn't forget about me. He is super busy."

"Oh?" The man asked amused by the tiny pixie of a helper.

"Yeah. He works for the FBI. He isn't afraid of nothing."

"Sounds like a good brother to have." The vicar smiled. "Come on, let's go into my house and get a cup of tea while we wait, huh?"

They walked together to the door. The vicar smiled at her. As the door opened a shot rang out. Lupe gasped and then cried out as the exit wound from the vicar's head splattered her from the top of her head to her stomach. She whimpered as the man fell down against the door with a thud.

Lupe quivered as she touched her face. She was sticky and she looked at her feet where the man's blood was starting to pool. "Vicar Rosslyn?" She asked softly, blood hammering in her ears. She felt woozy and sick all at the same time. She needed Don, now!

Don pulled up in his suburban. Edgerton had beat him there as first agent on scene. Don had run home to check on his wife who shooed him back to work after a few moments of him fussing over her.

Edgerton walked to him. "Hey, Don. We got a third killing. This time a vicar. He was shot right by his house." He sighed. "There's a witness Don. We haven't been able to get much out of her. She's just a kid. Her name is Guadalupe."

"What?" Don looked about. "Where is she?" There was something oddly familiar about this place, but he could not put his finger on it.

"Over, there, in the police car." Edgerton nodded and pointed.

Don walked to the door and looked at the spray pattern on the wall. The body had been removed, but there was a massive blood stain with shoe prints tracking through the blood that were child size. Also there was a void on the wall that was the size of a child. The poor kid had been right next to the guy when he had been shot.

He took a breath and looked at Edgerton. "No wonder you haven't got anything from the kid. She must be scared and horrified. I mean look where she was standing."

Don's view was obstructed as he walked toward the car. He pulled out his cell phone and noted there had been a call. He pressed the buttons to hear the voicemail and sighed. He hoped the girl had the sense to call Charlie and get him to pick her up.

The female officer stood back as he walked toward the car and he froze. His face went from stunned to horrified as he saw the child who had born witness to the gruesome crime. She looked so small sitting there in a blanket her face starkly white against the blood that had dried there. Her dark normally beautiful eyes were wide, and haunted looking as she seemed to stare at everything and nothing at the same time.

The blood run from Don's face as he took a breath and his blood ran cold. He reached out and leaned against the tree to take a steady breath. He needed to be strong for her.

Edgerton caught his arm. "Hey, what is it?"

"That's my little sister." Don muttered as he walked toward the quivering form of the child who seemed so much younger then. He swallowed feeling the guilt wash over him like a tidal wave. Lupe Urriolabetia had been witness to a shooting.

Edgerton blinked looking from one to the other. "You have a sister named Guadalupe?"

"Lupe." Don corrected softly. He coughed a little collecting himself. "Lupe." He said his voice a little tight even to his own ears, but she heard it.

She looked up at him and whimpered as she jumped off the seat. "Hey, come back here, you need to…"

Don held up his hand as he knelt down and Lupe ran into his arms. She at once started to sob against his neck. He cupped the back of her head feeling his heart breaking at the pain he felt in her and worse the relief she had as he held her. He picked her up and tried to calm her tears gently. He looked down at her t-shirt and jeans. He saw the blood and also the blood on her shoes.

He swallowed hard and held her close. "It's okay, Munchkin." He whispered. "The good guys are here now."

"You…you…didn't…come…" She said her voice small even next to his ear. "We…were going in…for tea…and he…he was…"

Don swallowed. "I know, honey, I am sorry…I was at the office."

"I called…you didn't answer." She said and buried her face against his shoulder. Don swallowed hard again. More guilt added to the ton he already felt. He had let her down when she had needed him most. He had not been there. She had called and he had not been there. He closed his eyes as he forced down his thoughts. She needed him to be clear headed right now.

He turned to Edgerton. "Can you tie things up here while I take her home?" He asked. "She needs a shower…among other things."

Edgerton arched a dark eyebrow. "Yeah. She's pretty much been through hell. You gonna try to get more out of her?"

"Maybe. She needs to not be in shock first." He looked at his fellow agent and friend. "I mean, she's just a kid." Don held her as he walked to his suburban.

An officer looked at him. "Sir, we haven't collected all the evidence we…"

Don's eyes were angry as he leveled the man with a stare. "The blood on her is the victim's. She is a victim too and she needs to be home with family right now."

"We have not been able to reach her father…"

"Of course not. He is in New York in meetings." Don snapped as he set the girl down on the seat and belted her in. Her eyes were haunted again as she stared strait forward.

"You know her, sir?"

"Yeah, I know her. She's my wife's sister. Now if you excuse me…I need to get the blood off of her and get her a drink of some hot tea and something stronger for me." Don hissed and he jumped into his car and drove off.

Don opened the front door. Lupe was walking before him like a living dead zombie. He watched her walk to the middle of the room and stare strait ahead.

Alan came down the stairs. "Donnie. Espa is sleeping, but if you want to…" He froze seeing the small child with blood covering half her body. "Donnie…what the hell happened to Lupe." He rushed forward looking for the wound.

"It's not hers, Dad." Don said. He was not sure if that was better or worse.

Alan lifted her up as Don walked to the liquor cabinet. He needed to take the rest of the day off to sort out his feelings and to sort out hers. Or maybe one drink and go back to work in a couple hours.

Alan tried to get the girl to look at him, but she did not. She stared strait ahead. He held her gently and looked at his son who downed a measure in one gulp letting the Jack Daniels seer his throat and revive him a bit. "What happened?" Alan asked.

"She is a witness to a murder." Don said leaning against the cabinet not looking at him. "She was right next to a guy who was shot. It's his blood on her."

"I am going to bathe her. Did you get everything you need?"

"Keep her clothes for me would you." Don said as he rubbed his face. He could not face the haunted eyes again for a while.

Alan nodded and took her upstairs careful not to disturb Espa who was sleeping in the next room. This was all she needed with her hyper-tension.

An hour later Lupe seemed to be better. She walked down stairs and sat down on the couch. Don looked at her. He went to her and sat down next to her as she picked up her book.

"Hey, Munchkin." He said softly. "Are you feeling better?"

She looked up at him. Well, at least she was responding to people. She nodded and looked back at her bookmarked page. It was a book on biology he noticed. What the hell was she doing reading that? He wondered.

"Hey, you know we are buddies and can talk right." Don said softly. "I mean, talking is good for you."

She looked up at him her eyes clear again. She let the book drop to her knees opened to a page about male and female sex organs. He took no note of that, however, as she sat watching him a moment. "I really do not want to talk about it." She said.

"I understand that." He said softly. This was a bit awkward for him. He needed her to talk to him both on a personal and a professional level.

She then smiled a little. "So with Mouse pregnant, does that mean you two had sex?" She asked cocking her head.

The question completely shot through Don's guard. He stared at her for a few moments unable to think how to either answer that or ignore it. He swallowed and shook his head. How could someone of her age know about that?

He blinked. "Lupe…" He started. "Um…" He said biting his lip a little. His first was to wake up his wife or send Lupe to her, but then he remembered that she was on bed rest and needed to have as much quiet as possible.

She smiled and returned to her book. "It is what I though." She answered.

Don rose. He needed to process that one and it would require something stronger than a shot of Jack. He swallowed. "Well, I will be back later, all right." He said to her. "I need to check on some things at the office." As well as take her clothing in to the lab and some other errands.

The crime scene had turned up a pill bottle with the label ripped off. The Crime Scene people sent it to the lab to have it tested for contents and for finger prints. The team had no other leads except that.

Don had to tell the vicar's wife that he was dead. She was at a conference in Minneapolis. That was s much easier than what he would have to do in a while. He needed to talk to Lupe again.

He was convinced her nature had returned as a front to cover for what she was truly feeling inside. He hardly blamed her.

The tox screen for the pills came back sooner than expected. Paroxetine was in the bottle, or Paxil, used to treat depression. That narrowed the list of suspects down to a only a few thousand.

The leads going no where Don went home for the night. He needed to get Lupe to talk, but he could not have her brought to the office, put in an interrogation room, and grilled about every detail she saw. Edgerton was a good man to get information, but he knew nothing of the hurt small children felt. Not, that Don had any idea what the little girl was thinking inside, but he knew his sister better.

He walked in the door and saw Espa sitting with a terry robe wrapped about her pregnant body as she watched TV. She was watching some show with Tommy Lee Jones. He recognized the film as 'Man of the House' and was shocked on several levels. First, that Espa was out of bed, second, she was watching that movie, and third, that Lupe was at the dining table coloring and well within hearing distance.

He took a breath and walked to his wife. "Hello, my love." He said softly. He bent and kissed her softly. "I thought you were supposed to be resting." He said his hand gently moving to her belly. Gretchen lifted her head to look at him from where she rested tucked between Espa and the chair arm. He smiled a little and scratched her ears.

"I could not get comfortable in bed." She said a soft smile on her face. "Besides I am resting and taking it easy." She rubbed his neck. "You are in knots again."

"Yeah." He sighed.

Alan walked in and nodded to his son. "Hey , Donnie."

"Hey." Don sighed. He looked at his father and then back to Lupe. "I need to talk to Lupe." He said.

Alan nodded.

Don walked in and leaned against the table and the chair. "Hey, buddy." He said looking down at her pictures. "These are really good." He said picking one up.

"Yeah. I am not using red though." She said not looking at him as she nodded to the small crayon bits about three feet away. She had busted it up into bits. So, she was angry as well, but hiding it. Don looked at all her behaviors. Classic signs of a really freaked out person trying to be tough, as his books from Quantico would tell him. The kind of person he could grind down in an interrogation and break, but he had no wish to break Lupe. In fact, he hoped to boost her up a bit.

"Well, I understand that." He said. "Lupe…listen…"

"I think I will draw this." She said with a smile as she picked you a crayon after pointing to a flower in her biology book before her.

"Okay, that looks really good." He smiled a little. He looked back at Alan and Espa who were watching the movie. It was clear that Lupe's behavior was not worrying them as it was him. Don knew she was avoiding talking to him about her feelings. He sighed a little realizing that this was how he, himself acted. He acted as though there was nothing wrong and tried to bury it deep in his soul.

"Do you like it?" She asked.

"Yeah." He nodded. He took a breath and reached out and stilled her hands. "Can we go somewhere to talk?" He cast a look back. "I mean, where the other adults aren't around?" He said his voice low and conspiratorial.

She looked up at him. That normally would have gotten him a grin, he was sure of that, but she just looked at him. Yes, this had affected her deeper than she was letting on. He took her hand and led her upstairs to the solar.

She walked to the couch and sat down. She had her hands folded in her lap as she looked at him politely. This was not the bubbly Lupe he knew and loved. This reserved girl was not Lupe, it was the mask Lupe was wearing to hide her hurt and pain. He sighed and watched her a moment trying to not be an FBI agent about this and be a big brother.

He took a breath. "You know Lupe its okay to be afraid." He told her softly turning to meet her dark eyes. "We all get afraid."

"Not you." She said. "Not me."

He rubbed a hand through his hair. "No, I get afraid believe me." He said.

"You never show it." She said. "That is why I want to be like you. An FBI agent without fear of anything that happens."

"Lupe." He went to her and sat next to her. "Sweetheart, I get afraid. I was afraid today when I saw you there in the car. You looked so small and lost." He took a breath. "I get afraid every time I go after a bad guy. I never know if I am going to walk away from that or not because they have guns."

"So do you." She said.

"Yeah, but I still could be shot." He sighed. "Honey, you can be afraid. You are afraid. I see it in your eyes. The fear of not being in control again. The fear of seeing someone die again…" He gently touched her face. "If it had been you shot, I never would have forgiven myself. I am not sure I will with you even having seen that horrors of the modern world."

"I…I never saw so much blood before." She whispered her eyes filling with tears. "He was a good man. He offered me tea. The bullet…it buried itself in the door frame. Wood split off." She looked down. "I just stood there as he fell. I saw my life pass before me. I am too young to die…" She whispered.

"Everyone is too young to die like that." He said touching her check softly. She turned to him. "You can be afraid." He said. She saw tears in his eyes threatening to spill.

She touched his cheek as he blinked one down. "FBI agents don't cry." She said as she rubbed the tear between her fingers.

"Oh, we can." He took a breath and hugged her fiercely. "We are just as human as you are honey." He said against her ear and rocked her feeling her tears wet his shirt. This little girl was too young to feel this. Too damn young.

He held her for a moment as he fought back his own emotions for now. She moved and laid her head in his lap. She felt a little better. He idly played with her hair trying to calm her down all the more and himself. Soon her breathing evened out and he knew she was asleep. Sleep was good for her. She likely had not done any since the shooting.

After a few moments he wiggled out from under her. She was better, but his own emotions did not have a tight rein. He went down stairs and went out into the garage after picking up a bottle from the liquor cabinet. It was the bottle of Ever Clear Ysidro had brought with him from Montana for them. Today was a good day to try it out.

He opened the bottle and drank three swallows, not letting the liquid touch his mouth, but letting it burn down his throat. Yes, this would be a quick and easy way to get drunk and pass out.

He set the bottle down and started to pace. Lupe had been an innocent girl when he had first met her. She was a bubbly girl of eleven who had befriended him with her charming personality. Now she was talking about sex and a shooting that would change her outlook on life forever.

He took a breath as tears sprung unbidden to his eyes. Rage…rage at the unfairness of it all came to him. He growled and whipped about punching his hand through one of Charlie's chalkboards. He pulled his hand back and kicked it. The girl deserved to be a kid, but be forever remembering watching a bullet blowing a man's brains out onto her. She should not have to remember the stickiness of the blood that had drenched her through her clothing.

He paced about the room as he took more of the fiery alcohol. The girl would never be innocent again. What the hell was wrong with the world that some one so little had to see that? He punched another board. It cracked in half. He took a breath to keep from utterly sobbing out his frustration.

He drank more of the drink. Thank God it was only a fifth. Otherwise the stuff could be lethal. He finished it off and shattered the bottle at his feet before dropping to his knees. "Why, God, why?" He asked and fought to control his sobs.

"You know Charlie is going to be upset that his equations have big holes in them." Alan's quiet voice came into his alcohol stupor.

Don whipped about to look at him. They stared at each other a long moment. Don then wiped the tears from his face and took a deep breath.

"Donnie, you're drunk." Alan said as Don stood up and wobbled a bit before staggering to a table.

"Yeah, what of it?" Don snapped. "I could not be there for a little girl when she needed me." He hissed. He leaned against the air hockey table for balance. "It broke my heart, Dad." He shook his head. "I could do nothing to take away her pain or my guilt."

"So you drank a whole bottle of liquor?"

"It helped me get numb quick enough." Don said

"Yeah, and removed your pain cells." Alan took a step forward nodding to Don's red knuckles. "You will be feeling that in the morning." He sighed. He could not remember the last time he had seen Don cry like this. He was the strongest of the family, or at least he hid his pain well. Tonight, it was painfully obvious his elder son was chasing away his own demons.

Don woke the next morning next to the familiar feeling of a woman in his bed at the Eppes home. He recognized the room and for a minute thought he was back in college and had brought some cheerleader home. Oh, Dad would kill him.

He felt the girl stir feeling him wake. Her hand was over his hip very close to his... He did not remember getting naked. Actually he remembered very little after talking to Lupe. Lupe…

He sat up and looked over at the woman in bed with him. Had he done something stupid and betrayed his…

"Morning, Don." Espa said with a gentle smile as she looked at him sleepily. "You feel better?"

"Yeah…" He straitened his head a little and then dropped his head back to his hands. "No…" He said.

"Well, you earned that drinking like a fish last night." She said. She eyed him. "What was the matter? You never drink like that."

"Nothing." He swallowed. He then saw her look and sighed. "I will tell you later. Right now I need some coffee and a shower."

"I am not making you coffee. I am not supposed to be out of bed remember." She said sweetly. She sat up and kissed his shoulder and then nipped it playfully and he hissed.

"Ouch, woman." He growled and turned to her. He kissed her and sighed. "Did I throw up?" He asked. Oh, God he was hung over.

"No, but you should have. Alan had to drag you up here after you passed out." She said. "We had to strip you since you reeked of the Ever Clear you drank. Were you drinking it or bathing in it?"

"Thanks." He said and got up. He staggered into the bathroom across the hall to shower. He had to get to work and that was going to be fun as hung over as he was.

He got to work and managed to pay attention to David telling them that the finger prints came back from a Jessica Kaidlyn a girl with priors for assault and battery. She was currently living in an apartment with people checking on her daily to make sure she had taken her meds.

Don's team looked into what the cause of that was. Jessica Kaidlyn was a schizophrenic and she was missing from the apartment complex. No one had seen her in two days. The nurses had filled out a missing person's report.

Don sighed. His hang over was worn off. He still did not feel good about what had happened.

Finally the APB report paid off. It was Christmas Eve and a cop had seen a person who looked like the three hundred pound and over six foot tall woman going into a building. Don had the building surrounded. Edgerton went to the roof of the opposite building.

Don searched by floor. He started in the basement and worked his way up.

Before Edgerton could set up a shot rang out and the pastor of the church a block away dropped. Don was on the roof. He had his flack jacket as did Colby and David.

"Drop the weapon!" Don growled.

The woman turned and looked at him. "God tells me I have to punish them." She hissed. She held the rifle.

"FBI! Drop the gun and put your hands up!" David said.

She moved to fire the rifle. The others ducked and fired at the same time a rifle fired. Don looked at his team and then saw the woman fall. He looked across at Edgerton who nodded to him.

The cuffed the woman and the medics took her to the hospital. She had four through and through bullet holes they repaired.

When she was stable Don and Megan went in to talk to her. "Miss Kaidlyn. Why did you shoot those six people?" Megan asked.

"God said to. God said they are all sinners."

"How so?" Don asked.

"The first one to go hurt me." She hissed. "He liked me. The second was his friend." She looked at Don. "The third tried to take a girl into his house to do bad things to her. This man…" She looked away. "He may have tried."

Don looked at her. "And God told you to do this?"

"He told me sinners should not go to heaven." She said and looked away.

Don took a breath. He and Megan shared a look before they walked out of the security ward.

It was Christmas Eve finally. Don went to the Eppes family home. He found Espa lounging on the couch. Lupe was on the floor playing tug-a-war with Gretchen and a chew toy. Charlie and Alan were putting food on the table. Don looked at his family and sighed. Ah…home.

He removed his gun, phone, and handcuffs and put them on the small table in the front entry with his keys. He hung up his coat. Something smelled good.

Lupe looked up. She let go of the toy, which Gretchen claimed and went to her bed by the fire with. She went and hugged Don about his waist. He smiled. "Hey, Munchkin." He said. He cupped her chin. "How are you buddy?"

He smile was award enough for him. He bent and kissed her cheek as she hugged his neck. He laughed and lifted her up onto his hip and swung her about playfully until they both were a little dizzy and laughing too hard to care.

Espa watched them a smile on her face. He smiled at her as he held Lupe close. He rocked with the small girl as he hummed a soft song grinning at his wife. He truly loved his family. He was learning just how much after this case.

Lupe leaned her head against him and looked up at him. "We'll be buddies forever, won't we?" She asked.

"Oh, yes." He smiled. "I am just a phone call away." He smiled at her. He pressed his mouth to her ear. "Make you a deal. I'll call you when I am scared and you can call me when you are." She smiled as she moved back and held out her hand. He clapped it and brought it to his chest with a smile.

He then set her down and went to his wife. "And how are you?" He asked.

She smiled a little at him. "We are, okay. Are you better?"

"Yes." He said.

"Good." She sat up and he sat down so he could hold her. She scooted up so she was fully on his lap. "Charlie made a dip that is really good."

"Oh?" He asked. She got a chip and then made an airplane noise as she moved toward his mouth. He clamped his mouth shut and smiled at her, his eyes dancing.

She laughed as she pressed it to his lips and he stubbornly turned his head away trying not to laugh out loud at the play. Finally, he reached up and took the chip and bit into it. She smiled at him and waited.

"Actually, you are right it is edible." He grinned and finished it as he licked his fingers.

Espa rolled her eyes as he suddenly grabbed her and tipped her back. He kissed her mouth deeply. After a moment her hand went up and tangled in his spiky hair.

Lupe came in and clapped making Don smirk and pulled back. He looked at his wife, his face inches away. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart." He whispered. "You are carrying the best present you could ever give me. It will just be a little late for Christmas." He grinned.

"The merriest I have ever had, Don." Espa said.

Lupe laughed and bounced back into the dining room as Alan peeked his nose around at the two lovers talking softly together. Don's hand was sneaking higher on his wife's leg and so Alan coughed politely. Don looked up at him a little guiltily. "Yeah, Dad?" He asked a smile on his face of a content man holding his family.

"Dinner is, uh, ready." Alan said smiling at them. Oh, how many times he had sat before the fire holding his wife like that, enjoying her body against his. And when she had been pregnant, feeling the baby move against his hand and arm.

Don looked content and Alan was very happy he soon would be a grandfather at last.

Don got up and helped his wife come in for a dinner of shrimp and fondue.


	13. Bones of Contention

**Bones of Contention**

18 Million

Native Americans, 1492 

350,000

Native Americans, 1900 

206

Human bones 

2

Truths

It was about two o'clock in the morning. Don and Espa Eppes were rolling about their bed together in a tangle of limbs and bodies. Espa had never known that there were so many ways to bed sport. Her husband had definitely been taking lessons when he had been with the other women in his life. He had more than sixteen years experience than she did.

Don loved his wife, she never refused his advances no matter how tired she was, and she was a willing participant on his seemingly endless variations on the theme. He also changed the position quickly if it was uncomfortable for her because of her pregnancy.

He smiled as he moved against her from behind cupping her belly with one hand and a breast with the other. "I love you." He said to her as he pulled her hair a little roughly, but she did not object. "Ma belle épouse chérie. Combien j'aime nos gambades ensemble."

"I know." She said back as his hand moved to her throat and he caressed it lightly for a moment. "You speak French?" She asked.

"Oui. Nous faisons la belle musique ensemble. Je vous aimerai jusqu'au jour où je meurs. Et alors mon fantôme vous aimera pour toujours." He said grinning at her face as his tongue wove the Romantic words. "J'ai connu cette fille une fois. Elle m'a enseigné la langue de l'amour."

"I have no idea what you are saying." She panted and looked back at him with a smile. He looked almost boyish with a lock of his hair curled against his brow and sweaty from the effort he was making.

"Je connais l'amoureux. C'est pourquoi je le fais. Il est comme le moment où vous parlez basque ou l'Allemand et moi n'ont aucune idée ce que vous dites."

She just rolled her eyes realizing by his tone he was teasing her. Payback was a bitch indeed.

He leaned down and planted a kiss on her shoulder blades as his hands moved about her body. "La beauté vous va bien épouse, enceinte égal." She was heavily pregnant, but that did not stop him from him wanting to make love to her every chance he could. As long as she was willing and the doctor okayed it…

He moved faster against her and she purred in pleasure at his rough play this night. It was not his normal way of lovemaking, but he did like to change things up like a baseball pitcher at times to keep things from becoming routine.

"Ich weiß, daß Sie das tun, um mich zu necken Sie Tier. Es ist nicht angemessen, daß Sie wohles das so sprechen und ich keine romantische Sprache sprechen oder verstehen kann." She countered watching his face grin as she joined in his game.

His cell phone rang and she nearly laughed as he reached passed her to the nightstand and did not stop moving his lower body as he sat up straighter with his hand firmly panted on her soft fleshed rump.

"Don't answer it." She teased looking back at him as she licked her lips knowing full well he had to.

"They'd know where I was and get me." He said looking at the caller ID. The LED light cast a strange glow on his face.

"Oh?" She asked smirking. "Hey, I knew you could speak English. I was starting to think some Frenchman had gotten into my bed."

He chuckled. "It's the FBI." He said and smiled at her before slapping her bottom affectionately. It stung, but did not hurt. She was far too excited for it to hurt at the moment and he knew it. "Now hush so I can talk…" He said pursing his lips. That was really unneeded since his wife was the quietest lover he had ever had.

"True…maybe we should tell them what why are doing." She grinned and then yelped as he playfully slapped the other cheek before he smoothed it over with his palm.

"Eppes." He said smiling at her. "Yeah…" He sighed and rolled his eyes. "All right, I will be there as soon as I can." He said and slapped it shut and tossed it onto the covers before he grabbed his wife's leg and put her on her side with a playful toss.

"I feel naughty having you having sex with me, while talking shop with your co-workers." She said.

He smirked. Actually, he was happy that David had not caught on to his activity. "There is a murder at the Heritage Museum I need to go to." He said. "A woman was killed." He never stopped moving as he spoke holding her leg as he caressed it.

"Sounds serious." She said panting. She closed her eyes to ride the wave of pleasure he always brought her.

He nodded and smiled before he grunted as his orgasm hit him like a punch. He panted leaning over and resting his head against her side as the panted against each other. He smiled feeling his daughter move against his cheek. "Hello, little one." He said gently as he kissed the spot and lifted himself up from his wife's body.

She smiled at him as he reached for his clothes he had worn earlier. She watched him dress, always amazed at the efficiency that he did it in. It no doubt came from being a bachelor so long. Either that or learning when he had to leave a girl's bed before her father or roommate found out in college. She could put bets either way.

He saw her smirk and raised his eyebrow. "What?" He asked retrieving his phone from her side.

"Nothing." She said raising her hand.

He caught it. "Right." He said knowing the smirk meant something had crossed her mind. It was okay. He would tickle it out of her later if he remembered. He kissed her hand and then leaned down as she tossed her arms about his neck. "I love you…sleep well. I may not be home before you are out."

"I guarantee that." She said stifling a yawn with her free hand. He pulled it away and he kissed her mouth greedily.

His tongue playfully mimicked what his lower body had been doing moments earlier before he pulled back. He smiled at her. "I love you." He said again.

"Ich hab dich lieb." She answered playfully.

He grinned at her and bowed playfully. "Je t'aime mon chéri. Je retournerai bientôt. Puis je ravish de volonté vous encore." He said at the door and ducked as she threw a pillow at him.

Don's team had been called because the Heritage Museum was on federal land, a ninety-nine year lease. At the base of a flight of stairs was Jennifer Abernathy. She appeared to have been chased and fallen down the stairs. She worked with Native American Antiquities at the Museum.

Blood was found on the banister of the stairs consistent with the cut on the victim's head. She had been found by the night watchman who had come upon her lying there. He was the only one there and said he was on the other side of the building. Don and his team took his uniform to do trace on, but they did not figure they would find anything.

Morning found Espa at the school. She had come in to go to a department meeting at seven AM. She then waddled to the cafeteria to find Charlie after phoning him. They decided to do breakfast together with Larry.

Espa smiled watching Larry selecting white food again. "Still on the white only diet?" She asked holding her tray of oatmeal, toast, and fruit cup with milk as they walked back to Charlie's office together.

"Yes." Larry smiled at her. "You know you look really great for as pregnant as you are." He smiled.

She laughed. "Am I?" She looked at him. "I feel like a house."

"You are not. You are glowing with motherhood." Larry said.

"You are putting it on a bit thick." She smiled as she waddled next to them.

"Hey, I am having a party. Do you think you and Don could come?" Larry asked.

"I am not sure how Don's schedule is, but I will make it for sure." She smiled.

"I am officially RSVPing for myself and one, Alan Eppes, who said he'd be delighted to come to your dinner party." Charlie said as they walked into the cluttered office. Espa took a seat on a free bit of table.

Larry and Charlie took seats on chairs that were too high for Espa to sit in currently.

"It's just, it's been a while since I entertained. I hope my hosting skills haven't atrophied." Larry said. Although atrophy implies a certain level of strength to begin with." He said looking at Espa with a shrug.

Charlie chuckled.

She smiled. "I will help if you would like."

"Espa…" Charlie said. "You should be resting. Doctor's orders." He said shaking his finger at her.

"Do that again and I will bite it off." She said her voice a low hiss. "I am supposed to take it easy, but I am off bed rest."

"Hey, boys, how we doing?" Don asked as he walked into the room.

"Hey." Charlie said.

"Hello sweetheart." Don said seeing Espa there. "What are you doing here?" He asked his wife surprised to see her up and about campus…especially at this time of day.

"Department meeting." She answered around a mouthful of hot oatmeal with cream.

He went and gave her a quick peck before turning to his brother. "What's for breakfast?"

"Toast and tori." Charlie said without looking up.

"Tori? That looks like cheerios." Don said eyeing the food.

"Tori, plural of torus, a shape with a hold in it." Charlie said with his mouth full.

Don looked back at his wife who shrugged and just shook her head.

"Well, topologically speaking." Larry said holding a powered donut.

"Mind if I have a rectangle?" Don asked as he snatched it from his brother's plate.

"Uh…Help yourself." Charlie said knowing he could not stop him. Don took a bite as Charlie continued. "My math abilities might be a biological adaptation because from an early age, I've been deprived the nutrition necessary to become a professional athlete."

"They say, you know, people who eat a low-calorie diet live longer." Don said smiling around the toast he ate.

"Is that what they say?" Charlie asked skeptical.

"They do say that." Don said nodding. "Hey, I'm looking out for you, bro."

"In exchange for what?" Charlie asked eyeing his brother.

"Yeah, um…" Don reached into his pocket and pulled out an evidence bag with a book in it. "This woman who works for the Heritage Museum was killed last night. And we found this on her, but the thing is, we can't make heads or tails of it, so, I thought maybe you could."

"Hmm." Charlie took the book and opened it.

Larry looked over at it. "I can already tell you what those are. Equations related to quantitative archeology."

"Really?" Espa asked as she stood up and walked to Charlie and Larry and looked ovr their shoulders. "Wow, you're right." She said reaching to touch the page.

"Yeah?" Don said arching an eyebrow.

"Archaeology is just another form of detection." Larry said. "The artifacts are the clues, and the history they reveal is the solution."

"Yes, we historians use that sort of things as well." Espa said cocking her head. "But these are for older than what I work with. See look Charlie, carbon dating."

"Yeah, this is carbon dating. These are formulas for calculating the age of an object." He said. Espa cocked her head at him and arched a slender brown eyebrow. "I consulted on a paleontology project once."

"Yeah, but that is a different isotope." Espa pointed out to him. "Carbon dating only goes back so far." She said. "And is easily corrupted, but in the sense that would make something seem younger than it is." She said talking for Don's benefit.

"Carbon dating uses radiation right?" Don asked watching his brother move to his chalkboard and his wife joining him leaning against the desk. He smiled and patted her belly knowing he was the only one in the world who could touch her so without permission.

"Yeah." Espa said answering him. He smiled at her and took another bite of toast watching his brother as he chewed.

"All living things absorb radioactive carbon – 14 into their bodies, plants through photosynthesis, animals from the food chain." Charlie said. "But like any radioactive material, the atoms decay at a steady rate, only replenished if the organism's alive."

Don eyed his brother listening to him. He looked at Espa who nodded for him to go with the flow.

"You know how some refrigerators come with built-in icemakers? So let's say the icemaker's programmed to keep fifty ice cubes in it at one time, but we use five ice cubes per day. Now, as long as the refrigerator's connected to the water supply, it'll create new cubes to make up for the ones we've lost, keeping the total at fifty." Charlie said to his captive audience. "Death is like cutting off the water supply. No more ice cubes get made. So, by subtracting the number of ice cubes we have left…Let's say, like, uh, thirty-five, from the total original number of fifty, and then dividing by five ice cubes per day…"

"The icemaker's been dead for three days?" Don asked.

"Oh, my Donnie can do math." Espa smirked at him.

"Ha, ha." He reached over and tousled her hair.

She reached up and swatted his hand away. "Dummkoft." She hissed at him.

"Petit hussy dit du bout des lèvres fort." He grinned at her and ducked as she aimed a playful swat at him.

"The icemaker's a more linear example, and, uh, radiocarbon decay is exponential, but y…y…you get the idea?" Charlie said watching the couple who were now harassing each other in other languages, but by their smiles it was all in good fun.

"Yeah, I mean, she was trying to date something." Don said. "But that's the thing, we don't know what. It's not in her office, it's not in her lab, so…I mean, that's the problem. Whatever it is, it's gone."

"Have you asked the victim's co-workers?" Charlie asked. Espa levered herself up and walked back to her mostly eaten food to finish.

"If whatever she was working on got her killed, then those co-workers are potential suspects." Don said

"Right." Charlie nodded.

"Well, I should…I should, uh, be able to figure out at least the parameters of the research detailed here." Charlie said.

"All right. Why don't you hold onto it. But take care of it. It's our only copy, all right?" Don said pointing at it.

"Okay."

"Thanks." Don said.

"Oh, Don, I'm…I'm having some people over this week." Larry said. "Espa said she would come, but she was waiting for you. If you wanna…"

Don paused at the door. He looked at Espa who smiled at him over her milk. "Oh, yeah? What's the occasion?"

"Just, I've sold my house and I wanna kind of say goodbye to it." Larry said.

"This dinner have a color scheme?" Don asked.

Espa snorted, but covered it with a cough as she set down her milk glass to wipe her face.

"Look, my predilection for white food is not pathological. Or at least not just yet." Larry said. "The, uh, menu will manifest all the colors of the spectrum, yes. Well, the visible spectrum."

Don shared a look with his wife who pursed her lips in a kiss at him. "All right, well consider me, us, there, Larry." He said.

"Yeah." Larry nodded.

"You'll call me?" Don asked his brother.

"Yeah." Charlie nodded.

Don turned to his wife. "I need to get you home. You should not be out and about much. I mean with your…your…pregnancy problem…and us going to a party tonight…"

"Thanks, mother hen I can look after myself and what is in it just fine." She said.

"I can run you home." He said softly.

"I drove here…" She said looking at him. She was aware of the other two watching them.

"We can swing by when we come home from the party." He said.

She looked at him. "All right." She said yielding to his will for the moment.

Don smiled and reached over and took another piece of toast from his brother as Charlie tried to pull the food back.

"Oh, my God." Larry said.

Don bit into it with a grin aimed at his brother in triumph.

"Why could you not steal from Espa's tray?" Charlie asked as they opened the door.

"Because I do not wish to rob my wife or my baby of the nutrition they need." Don said smiling as his wife rolled her eyes at him.

Once in the hall he wrapped an arm about her affectionately. They walked out into the sun and they put on their sun glasses. He smiled at her as she waddled beside him. "You know I have to say you look really good." He said.

"What?" She asked.

"You carry yourself so well, even pregnant." He smiled at her.

"Thanks, I think." She said looking up at him.

He smiled. "You look beautiful, you know, I'm just worried about you, is all. You should be at home with your feet up."

"Where are you going next?"

"To see the museum director."

"Harriet?" She asked.

"Dr. Harriet Whinthrop? You know her?"

"Of course I do. She has dated some documents for me." Espa said. "Should I call her so she will talk to you?" She asked.

"Why she will not otherwise?" He asked. "Even a federal agent?"

"She will be very cold otherwise."

"All right." He nodded.

She called her up on her cell. She looked at Don after her twelve minute conversation as he went through traffic. "She will be delighted to talk to you." She looked at him. "I will see if there are other people on campus who can help you as well." She said.

"Thanks." He said as he pulled into the Eppes family home's driveway.

She looked at him. "I thought you said you were taking me home." She said looking at him.

He sighed and looked at her as he put the car into park. "Sweetheart, I do not like you alone all day. Besides you will be wanting to come over when you get bored anyway and I robbed you of your transportation." He smiled and touched her cheek. "Please…I am concerned that is all. Dad and you can do stuff. I will be back later to pick you up for dinner."

He got out of the car and helped her down. As he wrapped an arm about her she swatted him back gently. "Don't fuss me." She said. "I can manage. I am pregnant, not an invalid." She said. It was becoming almost a matra of hers to her husband when he fussed over her so.

He stood back and sighed as he walked with her into the house. Alan was there and soon he and Espa were playing a game of scrabble as Don left.

Don went to the carbon dating lab at the Heritage Museum with the director. She was much more open than he had hoped since he was husband to her friend. She explained it would be strange that Abernathy would be down doing work. If she had an item normally she would have the technicians do it for her.

The director ran the log books of the machine use on the computer and found that the machine had been used at 1:34 am. No one was around at that time.

Don smiled a bit to himself thinking what he was doing at 1:34am that morning. He sighed and shook his head. Abernathy had done this without anyone else knowing about it.

Charlie came home and went to 'his habitat' as Espa called it in the garage. He was hunting through boxes for something. He came across a box with one of his mother's dresses in it. He cocked his head. His mother's stuff was supposed to be taken away to charity after Don and Alan had boxed it up shortly after Don had gotten married, almost six months ago.

The door opened and Alan walked in. "Hey, Charlie? I thought you were at work. W..w..what are you doing back here?"

Charlie was leaning against the box he had tried to stuff the dress back into a little guiltily.

"Just looking for something." Charlie said.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"What?"

"Um, a book on Native American artifacts that I remember you, you used to have 'cause you used to find old things when you worked for the city." Charlie said.

Espa walked into the garage leaning back against the weight of the baby she carried. She smiled. "Hi, Charlie." She lifted a book. "Do you want to use one of mine?"

"Ah, perfect." He said nodding.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Alan said. "You dig a foundation for a new building, you know, you come up with all kinds of stuff." He stood hands on hips. Espa noted it and realized that was where he husband must have gotten it from. "And I liked to look up what they actually were."

"Hmm…" Charlie said.

"What do you need a book on that for?" Alan asked.

"I'm…I'm just trying to get an idea of the math used by archaeologists, and I remember you had a book that…that said something about that, so…"

"It is in this one Charlie." Espa said from where she had perched herself on a table.

"Great."

"I can help you look. It is in the…"

Charlie stepped forward. "It is all right. Espa saved the day." He blocked Alan's path.

"What are you doing?" Alan asked.

"Nothing." Charlie said.

Alan looked behind him at the small bit of clothing hanging out. He sighed and turned away from his son.

"Dad, uh…"

"What?" Alan snapped.

"I thought you gave all of Mom's clothes to charity." Charlie said.

Espa looked from man to man and sighed. Once again she would be in the middle of a family argument.

"No, I said I was going to. I will." Alan said

"All right, well, Don helped you box this stuff up, like six months ago." Charlie said. "Espa helped too, didn't you?"

She held up her hands. "Don't drag me into this." She said.

"She's right. It is none of her business and none of yours either. You know, hard as it may seem for you to believe, a man of my age does have a life. I was busy."

"Dad, you're dating again. I mean, what if you meet someone and she finds out that you're still hanging on…"

"I would tell her it's none of her business." Alan said defensively. "Which is exactly what I'm telling you right now." He said. "At least the daughter I have has enough sense to butt out." With that he turned and left.

Espa looked at Charlie. "Smooth." She said.

"It isn't healthy." He said.

"He is hanging on because he doesn't want to let go of her totally. Surely, you understand that."

"He needs to let go Espa. It's been…"

"He will in his own time." She said lifting a hand to stop him. "We can go talk to Don about it if you want. I can butter him up a bit for you." She giggled and cocked her head.

"You know I am not really interested in your sex lives right…"

"Who said anything about sex?" She asked. She smiled at his bewildered look as she moved for the door.

David and Megan went to Abernathy's apartment to look for clues to her murder. The land lady mentioned she did not sing well in the shower and that she was seeing her boss a little more than she should be. David found condoms as well. Maybe she had reason to sing in the shower…

Megan came back to the office and spoke with Don. They talked about the information they had gleaned from talking to the landlady and from the Museum director. Don sent her to talk to the boss who was also her lover.

Ken Hill told them that he was at home. He also told them that a find older than the tribes would bring into question much for the tribe. They would bury a secret like that quickly and without study to protect themselves. He also said he did not know what she was testing.

Megan returned to talk to Don. He remembered busting a guy for raiding burial sites. Don called Espa about the law in question.

"NAGPRA?" She asked. "The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act."

"Sounds like it. What can you tell me about it? Wait let me put you on speaker for Megan."

"It is a federal law passed in 1990. It calls for the return of Native American cultural items to their respective peoples. The act allows archeological teams a short time for analysis before the remains must be returned. Cultural items include human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony. Consequently, this legislation also applies to many Native American artifacts, especially burial items and religious artifacts." She said. "Do you want more?"

"Sure…what have you got?"

"For purposes of this Act, the term- (1) "burial site" means any natural or prepared physical location, whether originally below, on, or above the surface of the earth, into which as a part of the death rite or ceremony of a culture, individual human remains are deposited. (2) "cultural affiliation" means that there is a relationship of shared group identity which can be reasonably traced historically or prehistorically between a present day Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization and an identifiable earlier group. (3) "cultural items" means human remains and- (A) "associated funerary objects" which shall mean objects that, as a part of the death rite or ceremony of a culture, are reasonably believed to have been placed with individual human remains either at the time of death or later, and both the human remains and associated funerary objects are presently in the possession or control of a Federal agency or museum, except that other items exclusively made for burial purposes or to contain human remains shall be considered as associated funerary objects. (B) "unassociated funerary objects" which shall mean objects that, as a part of the death rite or ceremony of a culture, are reasonably believed to have been placed with individual human remains either at the time of death or later, where the remains are not in the possession or control of the Federal agency or museum and the objects can be identified by a preponderance of the evidence as related to specific individuals or families or to known human remains or, by a preponderance of the evidence, as having been removed from a specific burial site of an individual culturally affiliated with a particular Indian tribe, (C) "sacred objects" which shall mean specific ceremonial objects which are needed by traditional Native American religious leaders for the practice of traditional Native American religions by their present day adherents, and (D) "cultural patrimony" which shall mean an object having ongoing historical, traditional, or cultural importance central to the Native American group or culture itself, rather than property owned by an individual Native."

"You just came up with that?" Don asked shocked.

"Hey, I told you I would help you. I have to work with it at times with friends here." She said. "I have a copy of it on my lap."

"Good work." He said. "What does it say about claims?"

"(B) in the Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization which has the closest cultural affiliation with such remains or objects and which, upon notice, states a claim for such remains or objects; or (C) if the cultural affiliation of the objects cannot be reasonably ascertained and if the objects were discovered on Federal land that is recognized by a final judgment of the Indian Claims Commission or the United States Court of Claims as the aboriginal land of some Indian tribe-- (1) in the Indian tribe that is recognized as aboriginality occupying the area in which the objects were discovered, if upon notice, such tribe states a claim for such remains or objects, or (2) if it can be shown by a preponderance of the evidence that a different tribe has a stronger cultural relationship with the remains or objects than the tribe or organization specified in paragraph  
(1), in the Indian tribe that has the strongest demonstrated relationship, if upon notice, such tribe states a claim for such remains or objects."

"I see…anything else?"

"(e) RELINQUISHMENT.--Nothing in this section shall prevent the governing body of an Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization from expressly relinquishing control over any Native American human remains, or title to or control over any funerary object, or sacred object." She said and sighed. "She had an important find maybe. Is that what the people thing?"

"It's what the boss thinks." Megan said.

"Hmm. This could get ugly quickly. Charlie has some news for you."

"What she was testing was not in the museum's collection. It was a new find." Charlie said.

Espa snapped shut her phone and smiled at her husband.

"You could have said you were in the building." Don said eyeing her. "You need to see what Charlie has.

"A new find?"

"A very old new find." Charlie nodded. "I analyzed Jennifer Abernathy's calculations and it's clear. Whatever she was describing had to be extremely old. I don't think she wanted anyone to know what she was testing."

"Why no?" Megan asked.

"I assumed that these numbers were measurements, so I ran them against a program used by forensic anthropologists called…"

"FORDISC." Espa said at the same time he did. "Then this is something worth taking notice of." She said. "Human remains…"

Don looked at her as she watched Charlie before the screen.

"I wanted to see if they matched anything human. Well, they did." He tapped his computer and a skull came up.

"Yeah, that's a skull, huh?" Don said.

"A ten thousand year old human skull." Charlie said.

"What? Here?" Espa asked.

"What did you say? Ten thousand years?" Don asked sitting forward.

"We have a nine thousand year old human in Idaho, Don. She was found near Buhl." She said. "She was repatriated not to long after NAGPRA went into effect."

"What your victim was testing were fragments of a skull that would make it the oldest human remains ever found in this area." Charlie said.

"And from what Hill just told me, that would be enough reason to kill." Megan said.

Espa took a breath. "Oh, this is about to get really ugly Don." She looked at him. "The local tribe is the Wiyanas. Don you want me to call the chief to make an appointment to see if he has any knowledge of this?"

"You have friends on that side of the fence too?" He asked looking at her. "Just how many friends do you have?"

"Enough." She smiled at him.

"All right sure. I will have Megan go." He looked at her. "You have the strangest connections. Goddaughter of the assistant director of the Bureau LA branch, now all these people…"

Espa nodded and pulled out her phone.

Megan went and talked to Chief Clearwater who was inclined to talk a little more since Espa had called him and warned him of the FBI investigations. He revealed he knew nothing about a human skull, but they would demand it back because it was an ancestor.

David and Megan tracked down a dealer who claimed to have everything on the books as found on private land for collectors. The Wiyanas had him on file because they sometimes bought cultural items to protect them from people who collected and had no respect for the remains.

Espa went with Don to the Anthropology lab at Cal-Sci. She met her friend Dr. Waters there.

"Sorry to bug you Ginny, but we need a favor." Espa said.

"Oh? Who is your friend?"

"My husband."

"You got married…well I guess it makes sense with a bell under your chin. Congratulations by the way. When are you due?"

"Not for a couple months. Did you get the information I sent over?"

"Yeah. You working for the feds now? The letterhead said FBI."

"Yes and married to one." She smiled and looked at her husband who was following them about listening.

"He's cute…even for a fed."

"Yeah, that's why I keep him around." Espa said a soft smirk on her face as the navigated through the lab. He was looking at everything.

Don was thankful for her help, but he was uncomfortable being talked about like that. Well, men did the same about women, but he still wanted her at home resting, not helping him with a non-Islamic case. Even if she knew everyone who could help him.

"Right. A ten thousand year old human skull found on the Pacific coast with these dimensions.

"Pretty big find, right?" Don asked.

"Yeah, if it is real." Espa said.

"Yes, assuming it's not a hoax and assuming it was a local find." Waters said.

"Well, what do you mean by that?" Don asked

"Transporting bones is not unheard of Don." Espa said

"Well, it's obvious that your victim was working with regression equations, maxillary sinus volume, high cheek placement. These are measurements we use to estimate ancestry." Waters said.

"Like race?" Don asked.

"Well, no." Espa said smiling.

"Not exactly. Race is a cultural construct." Waters said. "Where did he go to school Esperanza?"

"Not everyone is a bio-anthropologist, Mina." Espa said

Waters smiled and nodded. "Scientifically speaking, ancestry is more about geography. For example, the mid-face areas show variations in structure that result from adaptation to cold, aridity, allowing us to classify the skull."

"As…" Don cocked his head.

"As being of European origin, African origin, Asian origin." Waters said.

"What does that one tell you?" Don asked.

"I've entered the data into a program that reconstructs what this individual might look like." Waters said going to her computer in the next room. She said down and typed on some keys as Espa dropped onto a seat behind on a bench her hand going to her belly as the baby kicked.

Don watched as the program started with bone, then added muscle, and then skin. "That's funny, he doesn't look Native American to me." He said

"For good reason. Native Americans fall under the Asian classification. But this skull has characteristics we associate with European origin." Waters said looking up at him

"California has a Kennewick Man." Espa said. "Great."

"I see that. He looks European, right?" Don said taking out a note pad to take down some notes. .

"Who apparently was in California about a thousand yeas before the Wiyanas' creation stories claim he should have been." Waters said.

Espa just shook her head looking at the picture. "Clovis as a European culture coming over from the East is starting more and more to look like a reality." She said. She looked at Waters who nodded at her.

Don took Espa back to the office. He had decided that her sources were valuable and she could get more information willingly out of people so there was no need to play hard ball.

"So you're saying this skull wasn't Native American?" Megan asked.

Don was at his desk. Espa was near by sipping tea and rubbing her belly. "No, I'm saying it's a possibility." Don said.

"So what was he?" Megan asked.

"Well, the anthropologist thinks European." Don said.

"He was a white guy?" David asked.

Espa chuckled a little.

Don looked at her and sighed. "No, it's more of a geographic thing." Don said. "Apparently race isn't really a factor."

Espa snorted and walked off to find the bathroom which she was having to use more and more frequently.

"They need to circulate that memo." David said. Don chuckled. "I ran that list of names we got from the antiquities dealer. Guess whose name is on the list."

"Dr. Ken Hill." Don read.

"Jennifer's boyfriend?" Megan asked.

"Apparently Dr. Hill has supplied those type of artifacts to this dealer in the past." David said.

"So his interest wasn't purely scientific." Megan said.

"Yeah. Go run that down. Espa find Charlie. He is here somewhere and have him take you home. I will call if I need you for some more things." He smiled and kissed her gently. "I do not want you too worn out for the party." He rubbed her belly gently.

Megan went and cornered him at his work. He revealed he was in a court dispute with the Wiyana's over the skull. He knew what Jennifer was testing because he had given it to her to do it and he was the one who had found it.

It was found at a local construction site. He never thought Jennifer was in danger and he regrets it.

Espa and Charlie went to the break room of the FBI building waiting for Don to come in. Espa was drinking tea and trying to ignore the scent of coffee. She had convinced him to talk to his brother when he was not busy about their father. It was clearly a sore spot for them all.

"Hey." Charlie said eating a saltine as Don walked in.

"Hey. Did Espa tell you? You know, that skull might actually be European." Don said walking to get some coffee.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Espa nodded to Charlie from where she sat drinking a bottle of OJ.

"What are you doing here? You got something? I thought you were going to take Espa home for me."

"I just wanted to talk to you about…" Charlie began and then stopped.

Espa looked at him. She then walked over to get a cup of milk from the milk that Don had out. He smiled and poured it for her.

"You know what? It's so not…It's not even…whatever. It's not…it's nothing." Charlie stammered.

"Wait…wait a minute. Ho…Hold on. What's going on?" Don asked.

"Mom's stuff." Charlie said.

Espa sat down to listen, but let the brother's talk for now.

"What?" Don asked.

"You came over, you helped Dad box Mom's stuff. Everything."

"Yeah."

"Like six months ago."

"Right."

Don looked at his wife. "My God, have we been married that long?" He asked. He flicked his eyes back to Charlie. "He gave it all away, right?"

"He didn't give it away. He kept it. I found everything. It was all hidden away in the garage."

"Hidden?"

"Yeah. He clearly didn't want me to see he still had it all."

"You say anything?"

"He was very defensive."

"All right, I'll talk to him."

"I…I already tried."

"Yeah, well, I get paid to make people talk, you know." Don said heading for the door where Espa was standing watching. He cupped an arm around her back. "Almost ready for the party?"

"Yeah, but how many of your suspects grounded you for breaking the neighbor's window?" Charlie asked following them.

"Never proven." Don said. "I'll take care of it."

"Hey, you guys. Hill said there was a court case." Megan said.

"What do you mean? What kind?" Don asked. He sat down and then patted his lap for Espa to sit on his lap since there were no other chairs there. She dropped down and he started to rub her lower back gently.

"Between him and the Wiyanas. Over the bones found at the school construction site. Hill lost, upshot being he would never get the test to carbon-date the remains. So he went back and stole the skull." Megan said looking at her notes

"Without testing, how could anyone have any idea of what they'd found?" Charlie asked.

"The Indians often do not care to know." Espa said.

"Well, according to Hill, this is the whole point. If the Wiyanas aren't the regions original residents, it opens them up to a challenge on land use rights…" Megan said.

"Gaming interests." Don said looking at her.

"This skull could destroy the tribe." Megan said.

Espa nodded. "Yes. It very well could if it were known widely."

The Eppes' went to Larry's house for a lovely dinner of Spaghetti, homemade French bread, and salad. Amita had also come. She sat next to Charlie. Don and Alan were on the other side and Espa with Larry had then ends.

As the conversation was settling into play with light jazz in the background Larry came out of the hall way with a bowl, goggles, gloves, a ladle, and a sealed pail.

"Uh-oh." Don said looking down at Larry.

Espa giggled.

"Who wants dessert?" Larry asked.

"Oh, wow. What…what is that?" Alan asked.

"Liquid nitrogen." Larry said matter-o-factly. The canister hissed as it opened. "Plus milk, cream, sugar, and a little vanilla."

Don smirked into his cup of tea he was drinking.

"It's a fast and simple way to make ice cream." Amita explained.

"Oh, ice cream." Alan said.

"Man, I…I knew it would be interesting, but this is definitely out there." Don said.

"That looks prehistoric doesn't it?" Alan asked.

Espa looked at Don curiously. He took her hand and kissed it and winked playfully at her. "Yeah." Don said agreeing with his father.

Larry started dishing some up. Espa got the first bowl. She looked at it and waited for Don to get some as well before she tried it.

"Well, let me understand something about this Indian artifacts case of yours. I mean, about the skull." Alan said.

"Yeah."

"Do you really think it was taken to preserve land rights?" Alan asked.

Don licked the ice cream as his wife watched clearly letting him be the guinea pig for this adventure. "Yeah. Well, I mean, you know it's a working theory." Don said as he watched Espa try it and dive in. If she had pickles it would be so cliché for her pregnancy.

"They had to be pretty desperate to kill someone." Amita said.

"What do you mean? People have killed for a lot less that that, you know? I mean, it's a billion-dollar gaming industry." Don said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, but there sure seems like there's more than money at stake here." Larry said. "I mean, the…the age of that skull flies in the face of the Wiyanas' notion of creation."

"I think so too, but no one listens to the pregnant woman. Apparently, people assume your brain goes away for nine months, while you are carrying some fool's kid in you." Espa said.

Don shot her a look and she was soon busily eating her ice cream again.

"Uh-oh. Science versus religion. That could get ugly." Alan said.

"Well, certainly science doesn't require religion to change its basic concepts, just to reconsider the mechanism involved" Charlie said.

"Yes, yes, but sometimes the mechanisms are just the point." Larry said. He pulled off his gear. "I mean, Galileo spent the last years of his life under house arrest because he declared that the sun does not revolve around the earth."

"Yeah, but look, hey, for certain people religion is just that, you know." Don said. "I mean, by definition it is unconditional, so it doesn't matter what science says."

"Ah…for Native Americans there is no word for religion because it is so engrained into the way of life. In fact, religion, is a life way to them. Like Budda." Espa said. "The Sho-Bans from Fort Hall in Idaho. They call it Deniwape. The unspoken laws."

"You know, many scientists including Einstein, believed in God." Amita said.

"All right, you know, since I was taught never to talk religion at the dinner table, I would just like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for this fine meal by doing the dishes." Alan said rising.

Don snorted a laugh. Espa laid a hand on his arm and nodded to him. He caught her gentle coaxing as well as his brother's look.

"No, no, no, no please. That isn't necessary. Come on, that's nonsense." Larry said.

"I can help." Espa said softly, but her husband shook his head lightly.

"Yeah. A…Actually I'll give you a hand." Don said.

"You're gonna help with the dishes?" Alan asked at the door to the kitchen.

"Sure, why not?" Don asked and rose.

"We should eat at someone else's house more often." Alan said.

Espa smirked as Don began to gather dishes.

"Let me have your bread plate." Don said.

"So, Larry." Amita began. "When you move what are you going to do with all this stuff?"

"I don't know. Hey, would you three like to take home your dishware?" Larry asked.

Espa blinked and shook her head as she rose to bring in other dishes knowing as quiet as she was, she would not disturb the conversation.

"You want to scrape or wash?" Alan asked.

"Uh, well, I think I'll wash." Don said. "Although Mom used to get me to scrape and then she'd say…" He turned his voice into a horrible imitation. "'While you have the plate in your hand…'"

Alan froze and looked up. "This is your subtle way of telling me that Charlie talked to you about the boxes?"

"He was a little concerned, that's all." Don said.

"Yeah. And you're not?"

"Dad, hey, I…I don't care about the boxes, but you know, I mean, the way he said you reacted…"

"He was prying into something that he had no business being involved in."

"Well, come on. I mean, she's our mother."

"And my wife. Look, what I do with her things, well that's my business."

"Of course it is, but then why hide it?"

"I wasn't. I don't have to hide anything."

"Exactly. You don't. So I…I just think you know, I mean, it would be healthier if…"

"Oh-ho. Look who's lecturing me about emotional health."

"Wait. Hold…hold on. What…I don't understand. What's up?"

Alan sighed. "What's up? If you think I'm gonna listen to my one unmarried son and my newly married son lecture me on how to deal with the loss of my wife, well, that's as ridiculous as it sounds." He threw down the towel as Charlie peeked in.

Espa raised her hand to stay him as Alan went by.

Don shrugged.

"So much for those superior people skills, huh?" Charlie asked.

"Come in here and help so Espa can sit." Don said. He nodded to his wife. "We will let her work on him a bit."

She looked at him and laughed. "Just because I wanted you to discuss it does not mean I side with you. He is right. You have no business telling him what is healthy when you have not come to terms with her death either Donnie." She looked at him and then whirled about and went for the door.

Charlie stared after her stunned. Don sighed shaking his head.

Chief Clearwater and his attorney were brought in the next morning to discuss the skull and the court case with Ken Hill. They pointed out that they were not in the wrong on this and Megan realized it was true.

Then Clearwater got a call. His home had been broken into by a man matching Ken Hill. He cold cocked the wife of the chief and left her.

The Wiyanas wanted Hill stopped before the stop him.

David found that Hill had two guns in his name and he was in the wind. Don saw his wife sitting at his desk munching a Danish. He sighed. He would have Charlie take her home.

What had Hill been after? Obviously more information. Maybe where more bones were or who took the skull.

Megan brought population studies to Charlie to see what he makes of them. Larry sees equations to help determine where Native American settlements were located.

Megan then went to the Wiyana tribal lawyer to get more records. He would not turn them over to the FBI.

Charlie worked on the equations with Espa leaning over his shoulder. He found there were just too many spots in California to look for a once in a life time find like this. Hill as a scientist has to realize he can not hope to find something like that again.

Don looks at the credit card activity and they noted that it was right around where the skull had been found. Of course. Look for more bones where some had already been discovered.

"He will be digging one by ones Don. It should be easy to get him. He will be trowel digging not shovel." Espa said as she smiled at him.

"Right. You get home with Charlie then while we go get him." Don said.

Charlie nodded.

Don and David went to the site. Hill's car was there. He gave up after a moment wanting only to make his lover's death mean something. He was right where Espa had said he would be, in the middle of a one by one digging with a trowel. Don took him to the office. They had him on assault and theft, but not murder.

David found out that the Wiyana nation had dis-enrolled some members because of lack of family ties to keep the pie bigger for those still in it. One of the names was Lopez, the security guard at the Heritage Museum.

Don and Megan went to talk to him. He said he let a man in so he would put his mother and himself back on the lists.

Megan and David went to Chief Clearwater's office. They arrest Chief Clearwater for the murder of Jennifer Abernathy since he chased her. The skull is at rest until he reveals it.

Don and Espa went over to the Eppes family home early the next morning with Gretchen to spend the day as a family. Don had the day off at least for now unless there was some threat to national security in the LA region.

He wore blue jeans and a loose black button up shirt that Espa had bought him. Espa was wearing a summer dress even though it was winter in LA to stay cooler. She watched as the boys loaded the boxes into Alan's car.

"Are you sure about this? I mean, you don't have to do it." Don said.

Espa waddled over to listen.

"Yeah, you know, we didn't…we didn't mean to push you to do anything." Charlie said

Espa snorted.

"Your wife helped me realize what I was doing Donnie." Alan said

Don looked at Espa who looked down a little. As normal she was in the middle of the family affairs because they put her there and as normal she resolved it.

"You didn't push me. I just realized what I was really trying to keep had nothing to do with what was in these boxes." Alan said as he put the last box in the front back seat. "I just…I just got it in my head giving your mother's things away was bringing something to an end. You know, like a sign she didn't matter anymore." He took a breath looking at them. "But I'll tell you something. Snapping at the two of you did matter to me. It would've mattered to her."

"Yeah, it's all right, Dad…" Don said shrugging it off. "It's all right."

"You know, we, uh…Well. We're not really a group hug kind of family, but…" Charlie said

"No kidding. That's where my new daughter comes in handy." Alan said as Espa came over and hugged them all, but they did not gather about her and hug as she hoped.

"Maybe when you come back, we should just sit down and talk, you know the four of us. What do you think?" Don asked as Alan opened his car door with Espa under his arm.

"Do you want us to go with you, Dad?" Charlie asked. Espa and Don looked at him.

"No!" Alan snapped. "I need to do this myself." He said in a softer voice.

Espa watched her husband scratch his head as Alan got in and drove off down the street.

The three watched him go. Don kissed his wife's hair as she moved to step away from him and she ruffled Charlie' hair playfully.

"We really gonna talk?" Charlie asked.

"I brought a six pack. If things do south we can just watch the game." Don shrugged.

"You want a laugh?" Charlie asked the other two. "That last box of stuff that Dad put in the car. That was my stuff."

"Really?" Espa asked.

"Yeah."

"Oh, no." Don said softly.

"I didn't….I didn't have the heart to tell him." Charlie said.

"Hey, you know, I…I mean I don't have a problem with hugging." Don said as he hugged his wife again playfully looking at his brother. "I mean, I don't. My wife knows." He said

"I don't have a problem with hugging either." Charlie said.

"Good." Don nodded.

Charlie then grinned and opened his arms wide and came toward his brother.

Espa ducked out from under Don's arm as he reached up to push his brother away.

"Get away from me! Get off of me!" Don barked as he shoved his brother back.

"Wait. Wait." Charlie said.

"Get away from me! Get off me!" Don said ducking around him.

"Come on. Plant one on me!" Charlie said still walking toward him.

Espa dropped onto the grass and laughed as her husband playfully boxed at his brother. "Just get out of here!" Don play growled as he ducked and playfully fought with Charlie.

Don ducked down and grabbed Charlie and swung him up onto his shoulders and spun him around. Charlie laughed and struggled as his older brother showed him who was stronger.

They collapsed onto the grass panting near Espa who was holding herself she was laughing so hard. Don laughed with her and crept over to her and kissed her pressing her backwards into the grass. He rolled them to their sides and he playfully started to tickle her as she struggled to get away. Charlie joined in and she cried out. Tears ran down her eyes as all three realized they had they had not had this much fun in years. After they panted and laid in the shade and waited for Alan to return home to them.


	14. One, Two, Three, Floor

**One, Two, Three, Floor**

21 Shots of Tequila

6 Girls

3 Bars

1 Secret Service Agent

Don Eppes came down the steps of the Eppes family home. His wife and his brother were busily playing an x-box game. He listened and watched his wife expertly move.

"Mileena wins flawless victory. Fatality." The deep voice of the game said.

Don peeked around to see the two of them getting ready to pick characters. "Hey."

"Hey. Don. I played games all my life. How is it that she is able to learn so quickly?"

"I only started playing golf with your Dad and Mortal Kombat with Charlie." She said clicking on Raiden. "This is to prove to you I can play a male just as well."

Charlie nodded selecting Scorpion.

Don sat down. "I'll play the winner." He said.

"Is that a challenge my love?" Espa asked her hand pressing her her belly. He reached over and touched her belly. She had about a month to go. At least it was the cool season. She could write her book when she was bored. She smiled at him.

She moved the controls while looking at him and only seeing the TV out of the corner of her eye. She grinned at him. She watched as she upped cut Scorpion and sent him over the edge of the platform.

"Raiden wins flawless victory." The game intoned. "Round Two. Fight!"

The time she used Raiden's lighting to fry the life out of Charlie's character.

"Raiden Wins." The game said.

She laughed and smiled in triumph. "That would be to you my loving husband."

Don smiled at her and bent down and kissed her. "Show off." He muttered.

"Oh? I will show you how much of a show off I am." She grinned at him. She took the controller from Charlie and gave it to him. "Do your worst." She taunted him.

"Je devrais embrasser ces lèvres vilaines à vous pour vous fermer." He said selecting Sindel.

She clicked her tongue at him and selected Kira.

They dueled, but neither really got an edge. Don won the first round by a hare.

"Round Two. Fight!"

Espa was winning this round. Don allowed it.

"Round Three. Fight!"

The two worked their controllers hard. Espa had the upper hand. Charlie watched fascinated by the behavior of the spouses. They were acting like teenagers not like lovers and certainly not like husband and wife. Her husband grinned and reached over pulling her to him to kiss her. He had her in such a way he could look up over her cheek and used his one hand to seal her character's fate.

"Kira wins." The program intoned.

Espa struggled and opened her eyes, but he had dropped the control and was holding her. She pulled back and cuffed his arm. "You cheated." She hissed at him, glaring.

His hand pressed to the back of her head and the other to her belly. "Did I?" He asked against her lips.

"Yes." She said though it was muffled by his hungry kiss.

Charlie coughed a little uncomfortable by the affection he was seeing. The PDA was getting a little intense, especially since he could see Don's tongue in Espa's mouth. Worse, Espa was encouraging him with soft moans and her hands cupping his face.

"Ma belle putain. Vous avez une langue vilaine damnée et vous avez perdu. Je devrais vous prendre en haut et avoir ma manière avec vous." Don whispered against her cheek smiling at his brother knowing he would not know what he said like his wife. His tone was naughty, however, and the other two caught it.

"Schlampa. Aber ich liebe Dich irgendwie. Möchten mich zu diesem bequemen Bett von Ihrem oben nehmen und seduce mich bis Sonne oben?" Espa asked playfully.

He smiled and pressed a hand low on her abdomen against her thigh. The baby was kicking. He smiled. "Notre fille dit le bonjour. Bonjour mon petit ange. Le papa vous aime." He grinned up at Espa and then bent down to kiss her belly tenderly.

Charlie gasped. "Don…I'm in the room."

Don lifted his head from his wife's abdomen. "I am saying hello to my daughter, thank you." He said and rolled his eyes. "Do you mind?" He asked and looked back at his wife and licked her cheek playfully before sitting back to look at her. "What names are you thinking, my love?"

"Shoshana. Schuyler. Maybe…my favorite right now is Zephyr." She said smiling as she lifted a baby names book from the table near them.

He blinked. "Those are…different." He looked down at the book. "What about Margot?"

"Margaret will be her middle name." Espa said firmly.

Charlie looked up startled as did Don. "You are going to name her for our mother?" Charlie asked.

"Of course. Why would I not? It is my traditionalist side coming out." She smiled. She cupped Don's cheek. "Do you approve?"

Don was not able to speak just them. Instead he smiled at her and kissed her. "Thank you, sweetheart."

His cell phone rang.

"Do you like Zephyr Margaret?" She asked.

He smiled. "Well, talk about it later." He said fishing out his phone. He opened it. "Eppes." He listened. "Yeah. No way. All right. I will be there as soon as I can." He said.

He lifted Espa up from his body and stood up with her in his arms. It was quite a feat. She smiled as he lowered her and she pressed her belly against him. He smiled. "Do you like that name?"

"Yes I do." She said. "I have carried the kid the whole time. I think I should pick the name."

He smiled. "All right." He went and grabbed his coat.

She followed him. "You hate it?"

"No." He smiled. "I like it. You will just have to tell me what Zephyr means when I get home. Maybe you could stop by for lunch. How is the project going?"

"I could take a break for lunch sure." She nodded.

"Good. See you then." He smiled at her and kissed her cheek before going out the door to head to work.

Don went to the crime scene at a bar in Glendale. There was a young girl who was on the floor in a pool of her own vomit and a casually dressed man on the floor with a bullet hole in his brain. What the hell had happened? A bar brawl and people failed to notice the girl?

He looked over. "What do we got Tommy?" He asked as he pulled on a pair of gloves and squatted down to look at the girl. "She's young." He said mostly to himself.

"Local PD called us in because…" Tommy started, but was cut off.

"A girl dead from alcohol poisoning it would appear. Stupid kid doing the twenty-one drinks before two am. She just turned twenty-one yesterday." A female voice said behind him. An all too familiar female voice.

Don turned to look at her. "What brings you onto an FBI case Kim?" He asked looking at the thirty-year-old still attractive woman who came to his chin. He still had some feelings for her, after all they had nearly married, but he was happily married now and not looking.

She flicked her hair over her shoulder and smiled. "Good to see you too Don. I warned you we would trip on each other's toes again."

"I ask again Kim. Why is Secret Service here?" Don said not in the mood to be flirted with.

"The man, Agent Alexander Winterbottom. He was one of ours." Kim Hall said standing with her hands on her hips. "He was married with two kids and another on the way." She said. "Good guy." She took a breath.

Don knew she knew the guy pretty well by how she was acting. "He had a family and he was Secret Service?"

"Yeah, somehow he managed." She said. "I was always impressed."

"What was he doing here on a Saturday night instead of home?" Don said. He knelt down and looked at the body. "He drew his duty weapon." He drew it from his rigored hand and lifted it in his gloved hand and sniffed a bit. "He fired it. Where is the bullet?"

"In the wall." Kim nodded to the Crime Scene detail pulling it out.

"So he was under threat." Don said setting the gun back. He looked up at Kim. "What does a girl dying of alcohol poisoning have to do with an Agent?"

"I do not know, but that is what we have to find out." Kim said.

Don looked at the scene before him. The murder of a federal agent and a young girl. Not a good start to the day.

Espa was at home with Alan. She was dusting and singing.

Land of bear and land of eagle

Land that gave us birth and blessing

Land that called us ever homewards

We will go home across the mountains

We will go home,

We will go home.

We will go home across the mountains.

We will go home singing our song

Hear our singing, hear our longing

We will go home across the mountains

We will go home,

We will go home.

We will go home across the mountains.

Alan stood behind a wall listening as she sang softly to her baby in her womb. The song was bittersweet and he wondered of Espa was singing a song translated from Basque. Her voice was lower than he had ever heard her singing.

He walked in and came to her. "You should be resting. This is not your house. You don't have to dust Espa." He said talking the feather duster away from her.

"But…"

Alan drew himself up to his full six-foot-three inch height and fixed her with a fatherly stare as he folded his arms. She sighed. She felt like a dwarf next to him when he did that. "You are supposed to be resting until the baby comes." He looked down at the very full swell as she leaned back to support it. "You do not need more stress. We do not want the baby to come early do we?"

She sighed knowing she was not going to win the battle with the elder Eppes. She knew that was where Don had gotten his stubbornness from, no matter how much Alan tried to pass if off as his wife's fault. "If my pre-eclampsia flares again they just will remove the baby. It is the simple cure."

Alan sighed. "Yes, but you want a baby to stay in there as long as possible."

"Yeah, but I am passed the time when they really worry about it. Besides she is not moving as much anymore because she has run out of room."

"What are you and Donnie going to call her?"

"We have not totally decided, but I like Zephyr Margaret." She said.

"Calm breeze in Greek. That is a good name for a girl." Alan smiled. "I am honored you are calling her after Donnie and Charlie's mother."

"You will always remember her, Alan. Just like I remember my mother. Having our daughter named after her will keep a small bit of her alive for us all."

"Why do you not name her after your mother?" Alan asked.

"Perhaps the next child." She smiled and touched his cheek as she saw a tear form. She brushed it away. "Oh, you are getting mushy too." She whispered.

He pulled her into a hug and sighed. "I thank God I have a daughter-in-law to keep my sanity. My son made a good choice in you." He cupped the back of her head and kissed her hair as he rocked her gently. "Even if he made this baby in you before he married you."

She laughed a little. "That was not totally his fault you know. Neither one of us were expecting that."

"Why?" Alan asked.

She blushed. "Well, we were…" She looked down. "We were using ways to stop it, but they failed."

He smiled and cupped her face in his hands. "Regardless, I know he could not stand life without you now. I have seen how he looks at you. I have never seen so much love in his eyes."

"He is a good man. I can not imagine not having him at my side." She sighed.

"Do you think he would have married you if you had not been pregnant?" Alan asked her softly.

"I am not sure." She answered frowning a little. "Don thought he was ready to settle down once before, but wound up here." She sighed. "He makes sacrifices for his family and his job."

"Yes. More for his job than he should."

"No. He is very good at what he does Alan. I love him. If I asked him to change that I would not be a good mate for him. We are both devoted to our work. That is why we understand each other."

He kissed her cheek softly. "You are good for this family as much as you are good for him. Remember that." He told her. "We would be lost without your gentle nature to keep us on a level field."

She nodded and smiled up at her father-in-law. She kissed his cheek and sighed. "I suppose I should put my feet up for a few minutes before I go get Don his lunch and eat with him."

"Oh, so now he has you as a go-for?" Alan asked as she moved to the couch and laid back on her side putting her feet up. He walked over and saw how swollen her ankles were. "Oh, my God." He reached.

"It is just a little swelling because of the pregnancy." She said and waved it off. "It will go away soon enough."

"Are you sure? Your ankle is about twice what it was before."

"Yes. I am sure." She said and sighed looking about. Gretchen hopped up into Alan's lap. He scratched her back gently and the little beast rolled over so he could rub her tummy. Espa chuckled at that.

Kim Hall and Don went to the home of Agent Winterbottom. His wife Amanda had her two kids, James and Katie go outside and play as she dropped onto the couch. She was showing her pregnancy, though she was not as far along as Espa was, Don noted.

"What can you tell me about your husband?" Don asked gently.

"He was a good man and a good father."

"Was he often at the bar?" He asked.

"Lately he went there with his buddies after solving a case." Amanda's eyes flicked to Kim. "Why weren't you there?"

"We were in the middle of a case Mrs. Winterbottom." Kim said. "Was he in any trouble? That he would not tell me?"

"I am sure he told you more than he told me Agent Hall." Amanda said picking up his picture from the coffee table.

Don lifted a hand. "We just are trying to find his killer." He watched her press a hand to her side. "Are you all right?" He asked his eyes full of concern for the all too familiar gesture for him. "Just breathe deeply." He said softly touching her arm gently.

"Yes." She said. "It just kicked."

"Do you know what it is?" He asked.

"I never got to tell Alex. He was having another boy." She said.

"Congratulations." Don said. "Even though it is hard, you will be fine." He said. "Just relax. We will call you if we need to talk to you more." He rose and nodded to Kim to leave.

Outside she looked at him. "What are you doing? We need more information."

"She is right, he probably told you more. Besides pregnant she needs as little stress as possible to keep her from loosing the baby right now."

Kim cocked her head. "Since when have you been a coddler?"

"Things change." Don said as they went to his car.

Espa went to the small Chinese place that the Eppes family was fond of. It was a small family owned place, but it was very good food.

She got Don his favorite of Mongolian Beef and her own favorite, Sweet and Sour Pork. She got an order of fried rice to split and a to-go pot of Oolong tea to share.

She drove to the building where her husband worked. She called him on her blue tooth.

"Eppes." Her husband's voice said. He used the same greeting for her as he did everyone. It made her smiled a little.

"Hi, Donnie." She said as she went through traffic.

"Are you driving?" He asked.

"Yeah, but unlike you, I have a headset remember, since I do a lot of business with the Bureau while on my way there." She said.

"I see. Are you bringing me lunch?"

His voice was so hopeful that it made her smile in spite of herself. "Yes. I got Chinese."

"You rock." He said. "I think I will keep you around." He said teasingly.

"Good." She said. "I am here now. I will see you as soon as I get through security." She said.

"All right." He hung up.

She waddled up the stairs and into the building. She smiled at the guard and told her name so she could pick up her ID badge. They x-rayed the bag and she smiled amused as they did.

"What did you bring Mr. Man today doctor?" The lady asked opening the door for her when she was cleared.

"Chinese." Espa said.

"Yum. I'm jealous."

Espa laughed and walked to the elevator. She rode it to the sixth floor and got out. Don was waiting for her. He leaned casually against the wall as she stepped out, a cup of warm tea in his hand. She smiled at him.

"What did you bring me?" He asked stepping away and lifting the bag from her.

She clicked her tongue at him. He chuckled and they walked to interrogation one where they could at least have some privacy.

He pulled out the boxes and chop-sticks. He grinned seeing Espa had grabbed him a fork, which he was very grateful for.

She plopped down in a chair and pulled out her own meal and picked up the two pairs of chop sticks. She opened one package. She broke them apart. She looked at the food as she used one stick and turned it into her hair, making a quick and loose bun. When it was tight she used the other and slammed it down into the bun to hold it. She looked over at Don and saw him sitting there open mouthed as he watched her. She just grinned at him as he coughed a little.

"You are a bit scary at times, you know." He said eyeing her.

She opened the other pair and cracked them. She then put them in her hand and began to eat with ease. He smiled and shook his head as he ate with his fork.

"You got me Mongolian Beef. How thoughtful." He smiled at her.

She chuckled and reached over to take a bit of rice with her chop sticks. "So what are you working on?" She asked.

He sighed. "A Secret Service agent was killed at a bar. I am not sure how much more I can tell you." He said honestly.

She poured herself some tea and nodded. "I understand."

"That's why I love you." He smiled at her around a piece of beef and onion.

They finished their meal and were talking about her last doctor's appointment that he had missed due to work. He smiled and affectionately touched her shoulder.

Kim looked in from the door and saw Don sitting with a young woman. He was leaning forward against her chair having a deep conversation with her. She was a witness and he was crowding her, but she did not seem to be complaining. They both laughed at something.

He stood up and threw the containers they had into the trash. The girl was watching him. That was what Kim could see. The girl was young, mid-twenties if that. At least that was what she got from her profile. The girl had chop sticks in her dark brown nearly black hair and had bronze skin. Her dark hair and dark eyes looked somewhat vaguely like Don, but the nose was wrong.

Well this was as good a time as any to ask if he wanted to do dinner after the girl left. Inwardly, Kim Hall hoped that she and Don could get back together and fix what they had lost when he moved from New Mexico. He had nearly married her there. Maybe they both could work it out and get back together. She missed him.

Kim walked in and Don turned. "Hi, Kim. I was just finishing up."

Espa rose to her feet. "Esperanza Urriolabetia - ..." She said holding out her hand. Kim's eyes went to her belly. Espa smiled at Don.

"Ah, this is Kim Hall from the Secret Service." He said. He leaned against the table.

Kim took her hand. "A pleasure Ms. Urriolabetia."

Espa pressed a hand to her belly. Don cocked his head and pressed his hand to her abdomen. "Is she kicking again?" He stooped down. He pressed a kiss to her belly and smiled as he pressed a hand against Espa's. "Hey, you need to rest so your mother can." He said and looked at Espa and smiled.

He straitened and looked at Kim who was leaning against the wall. It was clear she was watching and curious about what Don was doing. It was clear he cared for this girl. They seemed quite close for brother and sister.

Espa smiled at her husband. "Don, I am going to go home."

"Yeah, sure. Put your feet up sweetheart." He said. He walked her to the door. "I will see you when I get home. Tell Dad to cook. You should be off your feet as much as possible.

"It's my night Don." She said.

He shook his head at her. "You are near to giving birth and you have been having problems with…" A finger to his lips hushed him. He smiled and pressed a kiss to the finger playfully. He reached up and took her hand in his. He kissed her wrist and then pulled her to him and kissed her mouth.

Kim's eyes lifted in surprise. Kissing brother and sister? Wasn't that illegal? She coughed a little and Don let his wife go with an awkward smile cast to Kim.

"I will see you." Espa said and walked out. She smiled at Colby in the hall. "Hi, Colby."

"Hi. Shouldn't you be at home with your feet up or something?" He asked. She sighed and slapped his arm and walked by shaking her head playfully.

Don watched her go.

"You seem…close to her." Kim said.

"Of course, I am." Don said. "I know her well."

"You had lunch and interviewed a witness alone. I could keep from telling on you if we go out for some beer and you tell me what she told you." Kim said tossing her hair playfully as she gave him a flirty smile.

He looked at her. "What? Why would I need to tell you what she said?"

"She is a witness…"

"How is my wife a witness?" Don asked folding his arms as he sat back on the table. One leg gracefully moved to the chair while the other remained firmly on the ground to keep his balance.

Kim's face was priceless for him. It was so shocked that he smiled at her. "You're…you're married? Since when?" She stammered looking at him.

"Yes…I have been married for a little over six months." Don said folding his arms. He was beaming proudly. He saw her look and swallowed. "Of course you would not know that, would you? Sorry. I should have told you." He said. He shrugged.

"You wasted no time making a baby. I thought you didn't want kids."

"Times change things." He shrugged.

"You always told me you did not want kids." She said watching him.

"I did not think I wanted them until my wife got pregnant. It changes your outlook on it." He smiled. He shook his head a little.

"What is she having?" Kim asked trying to make small conversation as she realized he was lost to her.

"A girl. Zephyr." He said looking at the wall as he smiled.

"The hell is that?" Kim asked

He laughed. "I have no idea. She picked it. You should ask her."

"Maybe I will." She said. She cocked her head. "What do you think about that?"

He arched an eyebrow. "That is if she will talk to you. I am not sure how she will react to ex-lovers and girlfriends."

"Sheltered?" She asked.

"Pregnant. Her nerves are touch and go." He spread his hands.

"Does explain why you were so gentle with Winterbottom's wife. You knew how to calm her down because your wife is in the same position." Kim said.

She walked out and Don followed her. She was acting a bit odd. He sighed and shook his head.

Colby walked in. "Don…there has been another girl killed at a different bar…this one in Pasadena. Looks the same as the first. Alcohol poisoning, but the ME is leaning towards it not being an accident."

"The hell is going on?" Don said under his breath as he looked at the file. He started to read, but Kim walking off toward his desk caught his attention. Her hips were not moving as much as they had been before. He blinked looking back at the file and tried to read again. Then he looked up at Colby. "Shit…" He muttered.

"Pardon?" Colby asked.

"Nothing." Don said shaking his head. "It's nothing."

"You look a little pale. You okay? Bad day?" Colby asked.

Don rubbed his face. "Well, if you call having your wife meet your ex-fiancee a bad day, yeah."

Don and his team looked into some leads that came out of the crime scene. Don and Kim went to talk to the families of the two girls. Don did not like the part of the job of telling the family their kid was dead.

Kim was seemingly uncomfortable being alone with him. He could tell something was on her mind, but she would not tell him. Once back at the office she told him she needed to check on some things and would return.

Espa was at the Eppes family home watching Charlie grade as she looked up from her laptop that she had on a cool pad on her stomach from where she was trying on the couch.

"So are you working for Donnie?"

"Yes." He said. "He called me earlier, but I have to finish with these tests first. They are already two weeks late."

She smiled. "I do not miss that at all." She chuckled.

"How is it to be on sabbatical?" He asked. "That was very clever by the way. Going on Sabbatical to keep your full salary." He sat back and looked at her. "Can you sing for me?" He asked.

She looked at him and smiled. "What do you want to hear?

"Anything." He said.

She took a breath and began to sing a song in her head that she had been humming a bit earlier from a soundtrack she had been listening to.

My care is like my shadow

Laid bare beneath the sun.

It follows me at all times

And flies when I pursue it.

I freeze and yet am always burned

Since from myself again I turn.

I love and yet am forced to hate.

I seem stark mute; inside I prate.

Some gentler love doth ease itself

Into my heart and mind.

For I am soft and made of snow

Love, be more cruel or so be kind.

He had been listening to her and sighed gently. "You always sing so beautifully. I have never heard someone with a more beautiful voice." He said.

She laughed.

A knock was heard at the door. Charlie got up and opened it. "Agent Hall." He said. "My brother isn't here."

Gretchen looked up and started to growl a little. Espa hissed at her as Kim walked in. "Actually, I was looking for Esperanza." Kim said.

Espa sat up and set Gretchen down on the couch. The dog woofed at Kim. Espa just shook her head. "Ignore her."

"Don has a dog too. Wow." Kim said. "I did not mean to disturb you."

"No, you didn't. My dear brother had already done that." Espa said.

"Oh? What are you working on?"

"A book. I am on sabbatical."

"You are a teacher?"

"Professor, actually."

"So Don did marry a doctor." Kim said. "Alan must be pleased."

"He is happier for what is in my body." Espa said.

"Espa that is not true." Charlie cut in. "He thinks you are great."

Espa smiled at him. "Come in. Let me get us some tea. We can have it in the shade in the backyard."

"You don't have to…"

"Hush, I am only pregnant and I am up anyway." Espa said.

"All right…" Kim followed her after looking to see Charlie shrug.

Espa put some ice in a glass and filled it. She then made one for herself and smiled as she walked out. "Come on. Don't be shy Kim." She said

They walked out to the big oak tree and sat down under it. It was getting on to evening. "So you married Don Eppes. That is quite a feat. How do you stand is quirks?"

"I have just as many."

"Oh? You are one part exuberance and two parts obsession as well?" Kim asked sipping her tea.

"You might say that." Espa said smiling into her tea. "What brings you here? Should you not be working into the night with my husband to find the bad guys who killed your fellow agent?"

"I see he has been telling you about cases."

"I have a Top Secret Clearance." Espa said. "I am an FBI consultant for Islamic Affairs."

"Really." Kim said.

Espa stretched out. "So how do you know my husband? I saw how you looked at him. You knew him from before, didn't you?"

"I thought I was the agent trained to interrogate." Kim said smiling at the woman leaning against the tree.

"Well?" Espa asked.

"He nearly married me in New Mexico. He was agent in charge and I was under him."

"Literally." Espa said with a smirk.

Kim Hall laughed feeling the ice melt between them. "Yes." She leaned forward. "Is he still as good in bed as he was?"

Espa laughed. "Oh, he is good. Whispers to me in French to woo me."

"Oh, you know that is how he seduces all women. They have no idea what he is saying, but the words are so damn sexy."

Espa nodded. "Indeed. I talk back to him, which makes him want me all the more. At least until he stops my mouth with that French speaking tongue of his." She sipped more of her tea. She did not want to be jealous of the woman, but she was a threat working with her husband into the night, but she knew her husband loved her.

Kim laughed and then took a sip of her drink. She watched Espa sit back and press a hand to her belly and smiled dreamily. "Does it hurt?"

"What?" Espa asked looking at her.

"When the kid kicks? Little Zephyr. What does that mean?"

"Means gentle breeze in Greek." Espa smiled at her. "No, it doesn't hurt. Come here and feel if you wish."

"You don't mind?" Kim asked looking at her.

"No." Espa said holding out her hand.

Kim went to sit next to her. She gave Espa her hand. Espa pressed it to her belly where the little baby was moving about. She looked down in wonder and gasped. "Oh my God. That is amazing. It is really alive in there."

Espa laughed and Kim joined her as she continued to feel the woman's stomach.

Don came through the front door. He removed his sunglasses as Charlie walked in from the dining room. "Hey, have you seen Espa?" He asked.

"Why?" Charlie asked.

"I just want to hug her." Don shrugged. "Where is she?"

"There are days I am really glad I am not you bro." Charlie said. "She's out in back."

Don looked at him curiously as his brother dashed upstairs. He shook his head and walked to the back door. He took a breath and walked out. He froze hearing two voices laughing and they were both female.

He looked about the yard squinting a bit. He put on his sunglasses. He spotted his wife under the great oak tree with…Kim Hall. His mouth went dry. His wife and his former lover were talking. That never was a good thing for a man. He swallowed and watched as Kim pressed her hands against his wife's stomach. His jealousy flared a moment, having another person touching his wife, even if it was another woman. He swallowed that down as they spoke to each other. They were talking about him. He knew it.

He walked forward a file under his arm. "Espa…there you are honey." He said. "Kim. Where the hell have you been? I have called you at least six times."

"Sorry I turned my phone off." Kim said sitting up.

Espa smiled. "She had some things to tell me that could not wait."

"Oh? While you were here talking girl talk with my wife another girl was killed." Don said his voice serious as he stood over them like a father scolding his wayward daughters. It had just about as much effect.

They both looked up at him refusing to be contrite. They were biting their lips to keep from laughing. He sighed and shook his head. "Come on, Kim. We have work to do. And my wife has been outside long enough. This moist air is not good for her and the baby."

"How would you know?" Kim asked. "It is not your body. It is pleasant out here."

"When you have a kid you will understand, or at least your husband will understand my position." Don said. He held out a hand and helped his wife to her feet. "I need you back at the office." And away from my wife, but he left that unsaid.

"I am not the only one working the case Don. I needed a break." Kim said. "I am a woman. I can only take a certain amount of grieving people before I need to let my mind unwind. We aren't all cold bastards when we need to be." She said eyeing him.

He smiled without humor. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said." Kim said. She reached down and turned on her phone. "We need to talk more Esperanza."

"Espa." Espa said hugging Kim to her. The woman was caught off guard, but then hugged Don's wife back.

All Don could do was stand there and watch. They had turned into the best of friends at some point and he was not sure where. Women were such odd creatures at times. He and Kim walked to his car. He looked at her trying to get her to talk using ESP to the back of her head, but she refused. He jumped into the driver's seat.

"What did you and Espa talk about?" He said finally.

"Zephyr." She answered and smiled a knowing smile at him.

"Yeah so did you find out what her name means?" He asked. He could not keep the curiosity from his voice totally.

"Yeah Don and you'll have to ask your wife." She said and looked out the window refusing to meet his stern gaze.

Don looked at the pictures of the three twenty-on year old girls. All had died from spiked drinks on their twenty-first birthday. And they had a dead secret service agent.

Kim walked in. "I remember that look." She smiled. "I have some good news though. The bartenders finally were able to get with an artist and draw a picture of a man who was with the girls. Look kinda the same doesn't he?"

Don looked as Megan came in. "We have a name for him too. His name is Walter Henry. Wanted for attempted rape in Texas."

"So he has been in the wind and he shows up here and kills three young girls." Don sighed.

David walked in. "He has a partner in his younger brother, James." He said. "We have hits off his credit cards in the LA area. He lives here."

"Pick him up." Don said.

David and Colby went to arrest the men at the brother's home. They wore flack jackets and had their guns out. They broke down the door and ran in. "FBI!"

They found found the house clear, but found bullets for semiautomatics and nine millimeters.

They went back to the office with a computer that had code on it. Charlie set to work to break it for Don.

It was late at night by the time Don was able to come to his apartment. He walked in and was greeted by two dark eyes watching him from the rug. He chuckled and locked the door.

He removed his jacket and walked back to the bedroom. He looked and saw his wife lighting several candles. No other light was on in the room. He leaned against the door smiling.

"Nice touch." He said softly.

She turned and looked at him. "So you nearly married Agent Hall." She said without preamble.

He swallowed and rubbed the back of her neck. "That was a long time ago." He said.

"I know. I just wanted to make sure there is nothing there now." She said.

"No. Why would there be? I have you." He smiled at her as he walked to her and put his hands on her hips. "And I have Zephyr. I have no need for someone who works more than I do."

"I work a lot too." She said looking up at him seriously.

He shook his head. "Yes, but that is different. Believe me, I am not looking for another woman when I have the perfect wife already."

She smiled and then pulled his face to hers to kiss him deeply. He was surprised. Was his wife actually jealous of Kim? Kim had dumped him and he certainly had no want to return to that life since he was happily married with a baby on the way. He could see her nervousness in her eyes, though her body language was casual.

"Are you going to tell me what my daughter's name means?" He asked looking at her as his hands rubbed her back and he realized she was wearing practically nothing.

"Maybe later." She said and she shoved him backwards onto the bed. He gasped in surprised and he grinned in delight as she climbed over him.

"I should look at other women more often." He grinned playfully at her and he gasped as she dug her nails into his crotch in warning. He looked at her eyes. She had seduction on her mind and he was not about to stop her.

The next morning Don had to drink more than his normal dose of coffee. His wife had kept him up most of the night marking him as hers. He pulled his collar a little higher to hide the hicky to the side of his neck. He smirked. Oh being married was fun at times. A jealous spouse, even if he had no idea why she was, was fun. Angry and having something to prove made for an amazing night of love making.

He had left her sleeping exhausted in the rumpled bed. She looked delicious with her hair in every direction. He looked down and saw the light robe she had worn, which he had all but ripped from her body. He had looked at barely sheet covered body and smiled before he had left. God, he loved her.

"Don we froze their credit cards." Colby said. "We are waiting for a hit."

"They are going to need cash and they are armed." David said.

"So going from girls to bank robbery. Doesn't seem to likely. I think they are going to try and skip out." Don said. "Do you have any new information Kim?"

"No." She sighed. "I can't put together why he was killed. The bartender said he tried to talk to the girl and he said maybe he was trying to get her away from trouble." Kim said

"So his death may have been not directly to do with him." Don said. "Guys lets look for anything else we might be able to connect Winterbottom to the girls before we rule his death something other than first degree."

His team nodded and left the war room.

He rubbed his neck and Kim looked up.

She smiled at him. "That looks good on you. I see you still like to have your neck sucked on." She smirked as he looked up at her sharply.

"Excuse me?" He asked.

She reached up and pushed the bruise making him wince a little. "Your wife gave you a hicky."

He gasped and pulled his collar higher and looked at her. "So?"

"Nothing…" She said and flipped her hair and walked by him.

Espa drove to the bank. She had to transfer funds and get a money order for her sister's birthday. She walked in and got into line.

Suddenly two men in masks walked and shot off some semiautomatic weapons into the air. Screams erupted and Espa dropped behind a small chair and gasped as security fired over her head. The men in masks fired back taking down everyone with a gun.

Espa watched people run out and go in all directions.

David ran into the break room where the others were having coffee. "Don. Two gunman just hit a US Bank in Anaheim."

Don jumped up. "Mobilize SWAT. Tell them we are on the way. If it is the Henrys' I do not want them to take hostages."

They all ran out to their cars.

Don jumped lightly into the command center clicking the safety on his M-16 before slinging it back behind him. "What do we have?" He asked Kim who was sitting down on the chair looking at the video.

"Two men with guns according to the witnesses. They let ten go, but they have three still in there." She said. "Two men and a woman."

"All right." He said. "We have a secure line?" He asked.

"Yes." She said.

He picked it up and let it ring.

In the building Espa sat in the chair her hands up. The two men were armed with knives, semiautomatics, and Magnums. She looked up as she heard the phone ring. She had actually jumped.

She looked at the ground near her feet. The security guard lay in a pool of blood. He was dead. She had tried to help him, but the men in masks refused to let him go out with the others who had run.

"You…pregnant bitch…pick it up." One of the men said gesturing with his handgun.

She took a breath and got up. She walked to the phone and sat down in the chair. The other man pressed a gun to the back of her neck.

"Don't be stupid." He purred.

She lifted the phone from the hook. "Hello." She said softly.

"Who is this?" A very familiar voice said on the other line.

"My name is Esperanza Urriolabetia, sir." She answered.

Don felt his blood run cold as he held the phone. "Oh, my God." He whispered. He took a breath. It was clear she did not want them to know she was the wife of the lead agent. Smart woman. "Can you tell me how many are with you?" He heard a click and knew the man had switched to speaker phone. "Are you all right Esperanza?" He asked.

"There are three of us. Two men and myself. Three dead." She said looking around the room.

"And how many gunmen?"

"There are two of us." The man behind Espa said.

"What do you want?" Don asked.

"Talk to the lovely woman, sir. I have a gun to her neck and am not inclined to kill two lives at the moment, but I could easily change my mind. And her blood would be on your hands." The man's voice was a silky deadly purr which caused Don to take a controlling breath.

"What do they want?" Don said.

"They have not told me yet." Espa said. She yelped as the barrel pressed in harder to her neck.

"What is your name?" The man asked.

"Agent Don Eppes." Don said. "I am with the FBI."

"What…not the Secret Service?"

"No." Don said as he looked at Kim who was listening in.

"Are you in charge?" The man purred into the phone

"Yes." Don said.

"Wrong I am." The man said. "I will call back soon enough with our demands. Come closer than you are and I make an example of one of my hostages. Am I understood?"

"Yes." Don said. "Perfectly."

The phone went dead.

Don sat back and sighed. It had been two hours since the man had spoken to him. He looked at his watch and sighed. Kim watched him as he paced. "You are not helping Espa by worrying. She needs you level headed. She gave you a trump card in not telling them she is your wife."

"Don…the two men are going free." David said over the radio.

The phone rang. Don picked up the phone. "What about Esperanza?" He asked.

"I let them go as a show of good will. I will keep the pregnant woman until you have a plane ready for me to leave the country." The silky voice grated on Don's nerves.

"Let me speak to her." Don said

"She is here. Talk."

"How are you and the baby Esperanza?" Don asked.

"Scared." She answered honestly.

"I am sure. Hang in there."

Suddenly the sound of gunfire made Don jump. He heard Esperanza cry out. "What the hell have you done?" She asked when the gunfire stopped. "Why did you kill him? He was your own brother?"

"Do we move in sir?" Came SWAT on this earpiece.

"No hold." Don barked. Espa was alive and seemed to be unharmed.

"Got rid of some extra baggage. Remember I can do the same for you my dear." The voice said. The phone went dead for Don.

Don stood up and looked about. "He killed his partner and brother. Apparently blood is not thicker than water for these two." He sighed.

"Don he is coming out. He has the hostage as a shield." Colby said.

Espa walked before the man. He held a knife to her throat as he kept himself firmly behind her to keep the snipers from getting a clear shot.

Don came out his gun drawn. "Give up." He called.

"I still have the girl. I can and will slit her throat." He barked.

Don backed his men off as they stood ready.

The man walked to a car. He opened the driver side door. He crawled in.

"Can you take a shot?" Don asked.

"Negative." The sniper called.

Don sighed. He saw Espa look at him. Her look of fear made him quiver a little. His normally 'nerves of steel' wife was truly scared of this man. She got in and started the car.

"Drive." The man barked holding the gun under her chin.

She did as he commanded and drop off.

Don jumped into his suburban with Kim and they followed a safe distance back.

Espa had her seatbelt on. She looked over and saw that her captor had not bothered with his. "Where are we going?" She asked

"The airport."

"Going to hijack a plane?"

"Shut-up bitch and drive."

She nodded. "Sorry."

She took a breath. Her hand went to her belly. She looked about on the interstate that they were driving. There was little traffic because people had pulled over with the police chasing the car she drove.

Espa saw the center pilings for the over passes. It would be a good wreck if she hit one. It would sent him through the windshield and she would be safe. With Don right behind they could get her to the hospital to treat her.

She took a breath and slowly accelerated.

Don looked down at his speedometer. "She's going seventy. What the hell is she doing?" He looked at Kim. "It isn't safe."

"Maybe he told her to." Kim said holding on to the strap about her head as Don drove.

An over pass was in sight. Espa gripped the wheel to steady her nerves.

Espa's captor looked down at the speed. "What the hell are you doing you crazy bitch?"

"Sending you to hell where you belong!" She growled. She then turned the wheel and drove the car headlong into the piling of the overpass.

The driver's airbag deflated and Espa yelped as it hit her. The car was old enough not to have one for her captor, but it would not have saved him anyway.

The side window shattered.

Don gasped and slammed on his breaks. "The target wrecked out. All units report!" He barked.

He jumped out his gun out. He walked toward the car. He winced seeing the body of the captor across the hood of the car.

He walked and saw Espa shaking her head. She pushed open the door. Don put up his gun and helped her as she all, but fell from the car. He let her collapse against him. "I need a medic!" He barked into his microphone. "Hostage is alive, but has a concussion." He said seeing blood coming from a small knick on her head. Don hugged her gently. "Are you all right honey? My brave little wife." He said. The relief was so clear in his voice. His wife had made it out alive.

She looked at him trying to focus. "Don…I think…" She looked up at him. "It hurts to breathe."

"That's from the seatbelt. Just try to breathe deeply." He said as he held her close. "We are going to have you and Zephyr checked out."

He looked to where she was holding her side. She lifted her hand bringing a jagged piece of glass covered in blood. He stared at it in numb shock as she did. She then coughed a little and winced. His eyes went to her lips Blood had flecked there. Her lung!

He moved to lay her down knowing shock would come faster with her being pregnant. "Stay with me Espa."

"It hurts." She whispered. She looked at him. "I…I…"

"I know." He looked up. "I need an ambulance now!" He cried. He pressed his hands to the wound feeling the sticky wetness of her blood covering his fingers. "My wife…she's…she's pregnant and was in a wreck."

"Drop the weapon!" Someone shouted.

"I'm going to kill that bitch!" A man screamed.

Semiautomatic fire came from all directions as Don forced Espa to the ground and covered her with his own body. He held the wound and looked about. "Civilian in the crossfire!" He cried.

"The man is down, Don." Came a voice on his radio.

Don sat up a little. Espa was fighting to keep looking at him. "Fight Espa! For the baby!" He said.

She coughed. "Baby…" She whispered.

"Shh…" He told her as he pressed the wound harder. She cried out. "I know, but the bleeding needs to stop." He said.

Paramedics arrived on scene. "Did she survive that?" One asked looking at the car.

"Yeah." Don nodded not moving his hands. "She has a laceration. I think it got her lung."

"We got it sir." The medic said. "Looks like the seatbelt and the steering wheel bruised her a bit."

"The baby?" Don asked.

"It's alive, but the heart rate is sluggish. We need to get them to the hospital as soon as possible."

Don nodded.

They loaded her onto a stretcher and she looked over at him as she fought to stay awake. "Don…" She managed.

"I'm here." He said jumping into the ambulance as the shut the door.

Her eyes rolled back into her head and Don though his heart stopped. She was alive, but had lost consciousness. Don took her hand and did something he could not remember doing in a long time. He prayed.

Alan and Charlie arrived at the hospital at the same time Megan did. They found Don sitting in the waiting area staring into space.

"Donnie, oh my God. How is she? How is the…" Alan asked.

"They baby is okay." Don said. "Espa had some bruising from the steering wheel, but the fluid cushioned the baby as did the airbag." He sighed. "She's in surgery for her laceration. She woke up once before they took her away. She was crying for me and they would not let me go with her…to tell her it was all right." He walked and slapped the wall.

"Donnie, this isn't your fault." Alan said.

Kim came in. "Hey." She said. She walked to Don as he leaned against the wall not looking at them. She reached up and touched his back. "Hey." She repeated. "She's tough. She'll be okay."

"Mr. Eppes?" A soft female voice said.

All three Eppes men turned to see Dr. Sarah Richards standing there in scrubs.

Don went to her. "How is she?" He demanded.

"Stable. Better than we could have hoped Don, but still a bit touch and go." The young doctor said. "A few more minutes could have been a different story. She lost a fair amount of blood, but her body is protecting the fetus. It is amazing what the human body can go through and still remain pregnant."

"She did not miscarry." Charlie said. "Thank God. The odds of that are…"

"No. The baby is feeling the trauma and I will pull her if her heartrate drops much more, but stable. Espa is out of surgery." She sighed. "That was not as bad as it could have been. "Her right lung was punctured, but not severally."

Don looked at her. "She was injured on her left side."

"Your wife is unique in many ways Don." She said. "One of which is that all her internal organs are opposite of you and me. Her right lung is on her left side. Her heart and its major arteries and veins were all in the clear." She sighed. "She is a very lucky girl."

Don sighed. "When can I see her?"

"Now if you want. For a few moments." Sarah said softly. She looked at the others. "I'm sorry. I can only allow Don right now until she gets out of ICU. Should only be a day or so until I upgrade her. She is the type to recover faster than normal."

Don followed her through the double doors. She took him to ICU room number three. Espa was attached to many monitors. Sarah stood back as he walked to her. He touched her head gently. "Oh, my God Espa." He whispered. He bit his lip. He gently touched her hand and held it in his. His thumb gently rubbed her knuckles. "My sweet wife." He choked on the words as he bent down and kissed her brow. "I'm so sorry." He whispered.

The monitors beeping softly filled the void as his voice died away.

He looked down at her dreamy face. "Fight Espa. Please…I can't live without you."

Espa regained consciousness twelve hours later. She was out of ICU two days later and able to come home five days after that. The Eppes men took turns watching over her. Don was there as much as he could be with his job. He had threatened to take time off, but she would not have it. Kim Hall even took a few turns sitting with her, but it was mostly Alan and Charlie. She was on orders to rest and take it easy. Don stood filling out paperwork as the nurses helped her dress. She was still weak and was attached to a portable fetal monitor.

Charlie had come with his elder brother who had taken the day off work to settle his wife at home and play nurse to her.

"Charlie. I have been meaning to ask you something."

"What Don?" Charlie asked.

"You told me one day that the house was my home and I could come home if I ever needed to." Don said softly looking at him. He took a breath. "What I mean is, can Espa and I move in. I mean, we are there more than we are at our apartment anyway, and I need her to be safe. I mean, you know, this case has shown me she needs to have people with her and…"

"Don of course you can move in. I mean safety in numbers right. Besides. Espa will need dad and I around to help care for her as she is recovering." Charlie said.

The nurse wheeled Espa into the hall. Espa looked tired, but she still flashed her husband a radiant smile. "I'm ready." She said softly. Her left arm was bound to her side in a sling and he knew under was bound tightly as well.

He nodded.

At home Don carried her up stairs despite her protests that she could manage. He laid her in the bed in what had been his room and soon would be their room. He bent set Gretchen on the bed. The dog went and snuggled down against Espa's back softly.

Alan came upstairs with chicken soup, tea, and some pudding for her to eat. He had it on a bed tray. He smiled and kissed her brow gently before leaving her in the care of her husband.

Don reached to help her with the soup and she batted his hands away. "I can feed myself." She said.

He sighed and nodded. He sat in the chair ready to do her bidding. He lifted up _The Two Towers_ again and started to read. He looked up at Espa's amused chuckle. "What?"

"Are you ever going to finish that?"

"Maybe. Depends how long I sit here with you." He smiled and reached out his hand to touch her cheek. "I was so worried for you." He said. "I thought I had lost you. When I saw you in the ICU…you looked so small. I felt so sad and angry all at once." He said softly.

"I love you too." She said softly.

He leaned forward and kissed her softly. "I love you more." He smiled at her gently.

Once Espa was sleeping the Eppes boys gathered on the floor of the living room. Alan had opened a bottle of Jack Daniels and had poured liberal measures into three glasses. He lifted his glass. "To the daughter-in-law who fights." He said.

"To my beautiful wife." Don said lifting his. "I have never known a stronger woman and better partner."

"To all the Eppes' present and coming." Charlie said.

"Cheers." They said together and clinked their glasses together before drinking down the spicy liquid that burned on the way down.

Don sighed. "I do not think I have ever known fear before I saw the blood on her side."

"Hush. She is well now." Alan said.

"Yes, thank God." Don said. "If I would have lost her…" He drank more of the glass and sighed. The Eppes' all looked at each other and sighed. If they would have lost her it would have destroyed Don and perhaps them all.


	15. One Hour

**One Hour**

1

Hour 

60

Minutes 

3600

Seconds 

1

Moment

12:45pm

Don Eppes looked at his wife as she sat on the edge of the bed. She looked most uncomfortable with her belly very full of their coming baby. Her arm was out of the sling, but still bandaged. She had nearly recovered from her ordeal at the hands of a madman who had been praying for little girls. Her dark eyes were off into space as she bet out a slow rhythm on her Irish drum.

She had demanded to attend the funeral of Agent Winterbottom with Kim and Don. The man had died trying to defend a young girl who had wound up dying as well.

Don had been at work for a week, but he had changed. Even his beloved wife had seen it. He was far more protective of those close to him and snapped easily in interrogation.

He looked about their new room at the Eppes family home. He had moved his wife back to the home he had grown up in and now was owned by his brother. Boxes were stacked about, some hers and some his. Most had gone to the garage until they were needed. It was a little funny. He had lived in his apartment for more than two years and never fully unpacked and neither had his wife.

He looked at his wife where she sat there staring into space as she held a sheet about her body. He should see the white of the bandage he changed everyday for her. Under it, though it was healing nicely was her laceration cut from the glass. It could have killed her and their child. He gritted his teeth. It would scar making her once unblemished body.

She looked up at him. "You should be going to the doctor before you are late." She said setting her drum down.

He eyed her. "Want me out of the house?" He teased.

"If it stops you putting holes in the floor while you are pacing, yes." She said.

"Pot, kettle, black." He said leaning against the wall.

"I have an excuse. I am pregnant. And rather resentful of you for it at the moment." She said looking up at him.

He spread his hands. "I am sorry, but there is little I can do. I could rub you back and your feet." He offered.

"Go." She said her voice had the effect of the steel of a knife.

He sighed and walked to her. He kissed her cheek. "Yes, mother." He said and she swatted him as he turned showing she was not in a mood to play. He walked out of the room and left.

1:20pm

Don walked into the FBI psychologist's office. He felt rather out of place here. The black doctor was looking at him as he walked in behind him. "Coffee?"

"Nah…" Don said looking at his phone. "Yeah, sure."

"Maybe decaf." The doctor remarked dryly. He poured some and looked over at Don checking his phone. "Turn that off."

"No way." Don said.

"My house. My rules."

Don sighed and looked at him. He pressed the power button and it shut off. He sat down looking at him a little testily.

"Ah. So now you are angry with me."

"Yeah, maybe a little."

"Last time I checked they gave out more than one badge and gun."

"Well, you were in the field once. You know how it is. Whenever you are not available, something happens, you know." Don took the coffee he offered. "Thanks."

"You are here for me to clear you for duty."

"So what I am sub-consciously screaming 'help me'?" Don asked

"Hey, if you don't use any mental mumbo-jumbo neither will I."

"Fine…" Don said shrugging.

"Who is in charge while you are here?"

"That would be Megan. Reeves." Don said

1:30:30pm

Megan and the team were handed the case and she was busy answering phone calls from the boss and trying to organize the agents. She had sent Colby and David to the scene of the kidnapping of the small famous man child. They had an hour to get money for the kidnapper who had the kid.

No one was able to get a hold of Don.

She contacted Amita to ask her about the computer messaging system that the kidnapper was using. Amita came to the office and was able to ping the ISP there the call was made from. She made it to the office and she and Charlie went to work.

1:32:45pm

Espa was downstairs working on a box of her stuff that she had asked Charlie if she could put out. She sighed and then stood up. She stretched her back and then gasped and doubled over as pain shot through her system like a torch of fire. She grabbed the nearest thing she could to stay upright.

She had been feeling little pings of pain all day, but nothing like this. She tried to breathe and she could not easily. She tried to breathe like they had taught her in Lamaze. When it eased enough for her breath to come back to her lungs she filled her lungs with air and exhaled. She coughed wincing as it pulled against her healing flesh.

Alan heard her and walked in from the kitchen and he looked at her pale face. "Espa?" He asked. "Oh, my God. Are you all right?"

"I…It hurts." She said.

He pressed a hand to her belly. "We need to call Don." He said feeling the contraction subsiding over her belly flesh. "You are in labor."

"What?" She asked panting. "I can't be. I am three weeks early."

"Your body has been under a lot of stress lately." He said to her. "Come on. We need to get you to the hospital and call Don."

"No!" She shook her head.

"What?"

"What if this is just false labor? Promise me. Do not call him. Not yet."

"Why? Why should he not know about this?" Alan asked surprised. "Espa?"

"He needs to be in his session." She answered. She let him lead her to the car.

He sighed. "Espa…he should…"

"No. He is not to know unless it is real." She said. "Promise…or I swear to God I will never let you see your grandbaby." She hissed.

He knew it was an empty threat, but he could hear the desperation in her voice and sighed. "All right. I promise. For now."

1:35:23pm

"Can Megan handle it?" The doctor asked Don. "The pressure should something happen?"

"Yeah. She is a great agent. Better at handling that I am. She really gets into people's heads you know."

"You are trained to do that too you know."

"Yeah, but after spending a couple of hours crawling around in a pedophile's head all I want to do is shower." Don said moving to look out the windows.

"A shower?" The doctor asked him.

"Yeah with maybe a couple of beers and a hot girl." He said not looking at the man.

"And that gets you where you need to be?"

Don looked at him. "Look, I have a wife who relaxes me just fine in that regard, thank you."

"We will talk about her in a minute. What about Megan?"

"She's smart, fast on her feet, tough…" Don said.

"And she would climb into someone's head?"

"Oh she would take it to the next level." Don said.

1:45pm

Megan convinced the father to allow the FBI to help him with the kidnapping. She had Colby and David stick with him. The father is blaming himself because he is all his son has and he never wanted him to see his father's old life. His son wanted a paper route so he could make money like his dad. Unable to deny him his father agreed and hence he was able to be taken.

It is found that one of the bodyguards that survived the attack was in on the kidnapping and he was partner were nearly killed to make the division smaller among the kidnappers. He gives them the named Nacio Duque.

1:47:30pm

Don looked at the doctor who was watching him steadily. "She is a great leader when she needs to be."

"How about your wife? She was attacked and nearly killed. You mentioned her. How is your relationship there? I understand from your file that you are still newly married."

"Yeah, we married about seven months ago."

"And she is about to have a child."

"Yes." Don said. "Can we leave her out of this? I thought this was about work."

"How you have been at work is because of what happened to her, is it not? I mean, you were ordered to come and see me, but I had a note from her recommending it as well."

"You talked to her?" Don asked.

"Only on the phone. She sounds very young."

"She's twenty-nine."

"To your thirty-six." The doctor said. "How do you feel about the baby? It is clear you married her because she got pregnant." He said looking at a file.

"Clear? I love her. She is my reason I get up in the morning to fight crime."

"And how do you think she feels about you?"

"She thinks I am too over-protective and need a chill-pill on occasion." Don sighed and half smiled. "She is very good for me actually."

"Will she be trying to get a hold of you here?"

"No. She kicked me out of the house to come here." Don said with a sigh.

1:57pm

Alan looked at his daughter-in-law as she lay on the hospital bed attached to several monitors. He held her hand gently. She had been rushed to the Women's Center and now she watched doctor's buzz about her.

Dr. Sarah Richards had come in and given her two injections in her thigh to stop the contractions. She wanted have the pregnancy go as long as it could. Since Espa was not in hard labor, it was a good time to do it since the baby was not stressed.

"You all right?" Alan asked as he brushed back her hair gently.

"My leg hurts." She said softly.

"I am sure. Are you sure you will not let me call Donnie?"

"No." She said. "I am fine. See the labor has stopped." She nodded at a machine. "He does not need to worry about me."

"Oh, so I get to." Alan smiled down at her.

She sighed looking at the most level headed of the Eppes men. He watched her as he sat beside her. He rubbed her hand a little. "It's funny. I bet they didn't have all this stuff when Margaret had Don and Charlie."

"Thirty-six years ago looks like the stone age compared to now." He said nodding as he looked at all the machines about and they were all attached to Espa in one form of another.

She looked up and then gasped. "Alan. Why is there blood on the ceiling?" She asked and gripped his hand a little harder.

2:00pm

The father of the kidnapped boy got the money required. Colby stayed with him. The kidnapped called with directions to follow. Colby made the father stay put as he started the run to a payphone.

2:02pm

Colby is sent to another location.

2:03:30pm

Colby is sent to another payphone and told that agents in a car following him need to leave or the kid dies.

It soon becomes very evident that the kidnapper is using the maze of points to see the FBI surveillance.

2:04:56pm

Don looked at the doctor. "Any more questions?"

"How do you feel about Agent Sinclair?"

"He's been with me almost three years, there's nothing I can't ask David to do." Don sighed. "I worry David may one day realize he's seen too much and leave the FBI. He is a great agent, but he over thinks stuff."

2:06:34pm

Colby is sent to another place. The kidnapper told him that David needed to back off then. They are still not able to get Don. Charlie worked out that the man was running them through a maze. He then saw where it was to end. Megan ordered everyone back to the Disney Hall.

2:08:20pm

"How about Granger?" The doctor asked patiently.

"I don't know what he saw overseas, and I can't imagine what he went through." Don said. "He worked as an interrogator in Afghanistan."

2:10:43pm

Alan sighed as he watched Espa fill out the paperwork so she could leave the hospital. He then walked with her to the hospital doors and then out to his car.

"Not a word to Don." Espa said as she dropped into the passenger's seat. She winced a little as she put the seatbelt over her body. The strap hit where her bruised sternum was.

He sighed. "Are you going to tell him?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Promise?" He asked. "Or I will have Charlie evict you." He said. It was just as much an empty threat as hers had been, but it had the same effect.

She sighed. "All right. I promise."

2:15:10pm

Colby arrived at Disney Hall. He walked down the aisle. David was hidden and pushed a service weapon into his shoe. Colby walked to stage. A man walked out. Colby demanded to see the boy. The man allowed it.

A shot rang out. The partner of the kidnapper fell to the ground.

In the FBI office Charlie calculated that the shooter was in the left part of the balcony. David went and took down the kidnapper. Colby picked up the kid and made a run for safety.

2:20:13pm

Colby drove and saw the boy safely to his father. He hugged him and then nodded to the father as he walked away. The father was very grateful for all the FBI had done.

2:25:19pm

"There is member of your team you have not talked about." The doctor said looking at Don.

"Who?" Don asked.

"I am talking about your brother. Surely, it is not easy to have a math genius as a kid brother."

"No." Don nodded. "Hey I grew up in Charlie's shadow and I hated it. Many of our arguments today are still over how we were as kids." Don sighed. "I mean, it is great to work with him, but we still have issues. He was my brainiac baby brother and he outdid me at everything at school."

"I see."

"But I respect what he does, however. He is an amazing guy and I admire what he does and what he has done for me." Don said.

"So why are you so afraid your team can not do their job?"

"No. That is why I am afraid. I am afraid I am not needed." Don said.

"Oh? You don't trust them?"

"I have been the boss for five years now. I do not have to trust my team. They have to trust me." Don barked. Suddenly he fell silent and looked up at the doctor. "Oh, my God."

"You like being in control. When you are not you really have no idea what to do. You can see. You made a girl pregnant and you married her, but I am sure that made you feel ill at ease. You are here and not in charge." The doctor smiled. "You need to kick back and relax a little. Your team needs you, but you need to relax and enjoy life a little more with your wife and your coming wife."

Don sighed and looked up. "My hour is up." He said.

"So it is. You need to come back."

"Yeah. I will call you when I am free." Don said getting up and escaping as soon as he possibly could.

2:35pm

Don walked into the office. "Hey, guys." He said seeing everyone sitting around laughing and drinking coffee. "What did I miss?"

"Just your normal day at the FBI." Megan said with a smile. The others laughed. "You need to turn you phone back on. Your wife was trying to find you."

"Thanks." Don said as he went for some coffee and then walked out of the office smiling.

3:00:09pm

Don came home and saw his wife sitting on the floor with her legs propped up in Alan's lap as he was rubbing them. He arched an eyebrow. "Hey."

"Hey." Espa said looking back at him. "How was therapy?" She asked.

"Oh great. I love shrinks getting inside my head." He said sarcastically. He sighed and dropped to the floor next to her. "What happened?" He asked seeing how pale she was.

"Well…" She started and looked up at Alan who nodded encouragingly. She sighed and swallowed. "About an hour ago…"


	16. Birthday

**Birthday**

15,000

Births Daily

6

Million Victims of Child Abuse

4

Houses

1

Arsonist

Don Eppes swung as the ball came at him from the machine. His wife was sitting watching him as she crocheted a little hat for their daughter who was going to be born in a couple weeks.

He looked over at her and smiled. He then looked at as the next ball came and smacked it hard with the metal bat making a strange cracking sound.

Espa set the yarn and hooks down and clapped. "Nicely done." She said. "You look like my father out there."

"I look like a sixty year old man? Thanks." He said smiling as he jumped back as a ball came low and inside to avoid it hitting him.

"You know what I meant."

"Hey, I played minor you know. I was a utility player."

"Ahh…but he played on none white leagues in Chicago and was invited to play center field."

He swung and missed. "You are messing up my aim woman." He barked at her playfully.

"Oh?" She asked.

"Yes, not calling me Miss-I-Won't-Call-My-Husband-And-Tell-Him-I'm-In-Labor."

"What was does that have to do with…"

He smacked another ball. "Just putting that in." He said to her.

"Are you still upset at that?" She asked.

"Yes." He said

"Your phone was off." She said back to him.

"Yes, and?" He asked turning to look at her.

She shrugged. "I did not worry you?"

"What is to worry about? My wife went into labor early."

"Actually, I was thankful she was not born when I was in surgery."

"Don't go there." He said as he removed his hat and walked out to her. "I am just thankful you both are alive."

"Sorry." She said rising to her feet slowly.

He eyed her. "No, don't be sorry. I am sorry I could not protect you." He said softly. He sighed. He watched her look down. "Hey, I love you." He told her as his hand went to the back of her neck.

She looked up at him. "I know."

He sighed and cupped her chin. "Tell me next time will you." He said.

"I…"

"Promise me, Esperanza?" He said softly as he held her shoulders and shook her a little as he stared her down with his dark intense eyes.

"I…I promise." She said. She looked up at him and tears came to her eyes. "I'm sorry…" She whispered. "I…"

He looked at her and gasped seeing her had made her cry. "Oh…Espa. I'm sorry. Don't cry. Please." He could not stand it when she cried. It grated on his nerves and made him feel like he was an ogre.

She whimpered and he drew her into a hug.

His cell rang and he made to ignore it. She smiled and reached up to cup his face. "Duty calls." She said and sniffed.

He just looked at her. How could a woman go from upset to smiling in no time? Pregnancy confused him.

He sighed and lifted his phone. "Eppes." He said. He cupped her head and drew her head to his chest as he rubbed her neck as he listened. "Right. Okay, on my way." He clicked it shut. "Come on beautiful. I will take you home." He said softly.

She nodded and followed him to his suburban.

After he drove his wife home he drove to the crime scene of a house that had burned by an arsonist. It was the second house in LA to burn in a week. His phone rang. He smiled as he saw who was calling and put his phone on speaker phone. He refused to get a blue tooth like his wife, but he did not want to drive holding his phone either.

"Hey, Munchkin." He said. "What's up?"

"You answered your phone. You almost never answer me and you call back." The bubbly teenager answered him.

He chuckled. "Well, I am on my way to a crime scene so I have time."

"Another shooting?" She asked. He heard the tensness in her voice.

"No. Arson."

"What?"

"Someone burned down a house. What do you need sweetheart?" He asked patiently. "You know you sister is only two weeks away from having the baby."

"Yeah Daddy and I are flying out soon." She said. "I needed to ask you about boys."

"What about them?" He asked not sure he was ready for this while driving.

"A boy, Kelly, he asked me to a dance."

Don had to correct himself as he nearly steered into a car. He took a breath. "What?" He asked recovering a bit. He knew exactly what teenage boys thought about and he was not about to have his baby sister looked at for T and A. He took a breath. "What is his full name?" He asked casually.

"Kelly James Murphy. Why?" She asked obviously showing no signs that anything was wrong with a boy asking her to a dance. He, however, had several issues with it.

"No reason." He said writing it down on his notepad on his dash to look up later. Oh the kid had better come from a long line of saints if he thought he was good enough for…

"Should I accept?"

"What does your father think?" Don asked as he took an exit off the interstate

"He said yes since it is a school function."

"And who is driving you?"

"Dad is." She said. "Why?" She asked hearing his protective nature in his voice. "You know sometimes having you as a big brother can be difficult."

"How so?"

"You aren't here."

"You would not want me to be. I would have three agents attached to you at all times. I can call the Salt Lake office and see if any…"

"No, Don!" She cried, but then laughed.

He smiled. "Just say yes. It is up to him to provide flowers, dinner, and…" He drifted off. Condoms were not something she needed to know about and if she did he would hunt the boy down himself. He coughed a little. "So how did your father take it when I called about Espa?"

"He was glad she was all right." She said suddenly serious. "He was worried, but he said 'She's in good hands with Don.'"

Don swallowed. Yeah the same good hands that got her into that in the first place. He turned on his lights and siren to blast through a busy part of town.

"Oh I wish I could ride with you." She said when he put the phone to his ear to hear her as cars scrambled to get out of his way.

He laughed. "No you don't." He pulled up to the home and left his lights running as he turned off his siren. "I need to go honey." He opened the door and hoped out. "See you later Munchkin. Just say yes and enjoy yourself at the party. Do not go home with any boys."

"Yes, Don." She said. "Bye, love you big brother."

"Bye, love you sweetheart." Don put up his phone. "What do we have David?"

"Arson, like the last home. Only this one had a elderly lady in it." David said nodding to a body bag being taken by the coroner.

Don walked into the house. The fire had gutted the home. Once again the arsonist had set a hot well planned fire. And this time he was a murderer.

Espa was sitting crocheting as she waited for the cookies to get done. The Eppes family always seemed to want a stock supply, especially Charlie who took at least a dozen at a time to work with him.

She listened to one of her CDs of Celtic Music trying to calm her nerves.

She heard the buzzer and stood up. She walked to the oven. She bent down and picked up the cookies and set them on the stove. She sighed. Her lower back was pinching to her belly.

She walked back to her chair and froze. She felt something give in her and her legs were suddenly wet. She gasped and reached to her belly as it was followed by a strong contraction.

She bit her lip. "Alan!" She cried knowing he was somewhere.

She heard him come in from the garage. "What is it?" He asked.

She looked at him panting as she straitened on her now shaky legs. She looked down. There were a couple of drops of blood on the floor. She looked up. "I think I need to go to the hospital."

"Why?" Alan asked wiping his hands on a towel. "What is wrong?" He asked.

"I…I think my water just broke."

His eyes widened, but he took a breath. "Okay, let's not panic."

"The doctor said she would be late after the injections." Espa protested as he started to move her for the door.

"That is only if they do not decide to come early. You are only two weeks off Espa. You made it far enough." He rubbed her back. "How long have you been in labor? This time?" He asked.

"An hour?" She shrugged.

"Should I call Don this time or wait again?" He asked her as he helped her into the car.

"Wait a couple of hours…" She said softly.

"All right." He nodded. "As long as you do not have the kid by then." He smiled knowing full well that first births were often hours.

Don looked at the wall. Simple gasoline had been the excelerant in these fires. One lady was dead, burned. A weird thing with human nature. When there was a fire in the home, humans often went into a deeper sleep. The smoke inhalation had killed her before she reacted to the smoke detector. At least she was not burned alive.

He had been staring at the wall for almost an hour. Megan came in and brought him coffee. "See anything?" She asked.

"No. Any luck with Charlie?"

"No, he says he went to the hospital with Espa."

"Yeah, she is supposed to be looked at today." He said nodding.

His cell phone rang. He looked down and saw it was Espa's phone. He sighed and shook his head clicking it so it would go to voicemail. She was in no real danger and he was thinking. If she was in danger it would have been Charlie or his father calling him and he just could not drop everything to get her a Krispy Kream. Pregnant women were very fickle creatures.

Espa sat on the hospital bed and clicked her phone shut. "It went to voicemail." She said looking at Alan.

"Try again." Alan said as a nurse came in to look at the monitors.

She nodded and dialed again.

"Hey, this is Special Agent Don Eppes. Leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can." Don's voice said on his mail.

"Don. Hi. I know you are busy. I am at the hospital. I just want to let you know I am in full labor and you may want to come over at some point. It is not an emergency, but I want you here. Thanks. Love you."

Charlie walked in holding his book bag. He set it down. "Hey, where are we?" He asked.

"Three centimeters and twenty percent afaced." Alan said.

"How is her breathing? Are you breathing all right?" Charlie asked looking at her as she took her hand carefully.

"I'm fine." She smiled. "I am just in labor, its natural Charlie."

"I know, but statistically speaking you have no idea what kind of pain is coming. Are you going to have an epidural?"

"No." She said.

"Why not?"

"I have heard from friends that it is not worth it." She said. "Ahh…Hey Sarah." She said nodding as her OB-GYN walked into the room.

Sarah smiled. "Hello Espa. Mr. Eppes. Dr. Eppes." She looked at a print out of the babies heartbeat from the fetal monitor strapped to her belly. "Looks good." She smiled. "Where is Agent Eppes?"

"Working." Espa said with a smile. "He will be here soon."

Dr. Richards nodded. "Good. I will check back in a bit. Nurses will be coming in and out. She looked at the two men. "Do you want me to have cots brought in for you? This will likely go into the night."

"I am fine in this chair, thank you." Alan said.

"I will take one." Charlie said.

"All right." Sarah nodded. "Espa remember you need to walk around as much as possible and you can use the ball over there too." She smiled. "The contractions will be getting closer and harder as the night goes on."

Espa nodded and moved to get up. She walked over to the ball and rolled her back onto it. She took a breath and breathed through a contraction. Alan sat and watched her as she made herself comfortable.

Charlie fluttered about. "Do you want ice chips?" He asked.

She smiled at him even though her teeth were gritted. "Sit down Charlie." She said.

"Yeah, she's right. Sit down. There will be enough chaos later." Alan said.

Don looked down at his phone. It was the third call from Espa in an hour. He shook his head. Whatever she needed his father and Charlie could help. He was in the lab looking at something Crime Scene had found in trace.

They looked at it. It was a note. Though mostly burned they still could make out the words. – Childhood does not even begin to describe the horror I –

Don looked at it and sighed. "Not much to go on."

"No. Sorry. The gas was unleaded from any gas station. I did find a book of matches. White with Chinese lettering on it. Maybe from Chinatown." The technician said.

Don's phone rang. He looked at it. Espa again. He shook his head and turned his phone off. He needed to think.

"Oh we found this picture as well. It is a kid." The technician said. "It was not with the lady's framed ones."

"A message?" Megan asked looking at the partly burned picture. The picture had writing on the back. "Thomas Lily 1979." She read.

Don looked at her and sighed. "Let's look into him. It is our best lead so far." He looked at his watch. It was getting on to eight o'clock. His wife would be in bed reading by now after dinner. She was often so exhausted these days. He hardly blamed her.

"So what do we know?" Don asked his team as he walked into the war room.

"The fires were set in different rooms." Colby said. "The arsonist used gaseline."

Megan was typing on a computer.

Don nodded. "Well, we have a killer on the loose and he doesn't seem to want to let this stop. Two fires in a week quick for a serial killer."

"Maybe he is burning something else." Megan said. "I mean, he tried to burn the note and the picture."

The team ordered Pizza in as the looked up Thomas Lily. There were four in LA. Don and his team went to check on them all before it got too late.

While out another house was burned and two kids died in the nasty fire. Don and his team arrived on scene as the fire department was getting the last of the hotspots in the home. The parents, dressed for an opera, were standing near a police car. The father was in handcuffs and he was holding his wife as they looked at the home.

Don took a breath. This was going to be a long night.

Espa leaned over her ball as another contraction hit. Alan was sitting on the floor next to her rubbing her back as Charlie rested. He was going to take the later shift in the wee hours.

Espa lifted the phone again. She listened as it went strait to his voicemail and gritted her teeth. "Don, my love. Where are you? Your baby is being born and you are not here." She hung up the phone and sighed.

Alan sighed. "It is okay. He will come. He is just working hard."

"So hard that he can not be here for the birth. He promised Alan." She said through barely controlled tears.

"Shh…I know. If he is not here by morning we will send Charlie." He smiled and rubbed her hair gently. "Easy…" He said trying to calm her down even as he wondered where his eldest son had disappeared to this time.

He looked at the clock. It was after midnight. Espa had been in the hospital for eight hours now. Sarah had decided not to send her home because of what had happened only a couple of weeks ago and she was not sure if that would still stress the baby.

Where was Don?

Don and Megan had interviewed Thomas K. Lily who was a sixty year old man who lived living with his daughter and son-in-law. There was no way he was the child in the photo. That had been at midnight. Then they had retired to the office to dig up what they could on the remaining Thomas Lily.

The man had been in foster care all his life because he had been abused. He had been given to his father's friends in exchange for drugs. The mother had moved him away from that, but soon turned into a crack-whore herself. He was put in foster care shortly after when she was arrested.

It was six AM.

They drove to Thomas F. Lily's apartment. They got out and noticed the fire department was there. They had just put out a fire on the fourth floor. Don and Megan went up to see if what they suspected was true.

The apartment was Lily's. Inside the say images of the homes burned, some burned gas cans, and pictures with darts in them.

Megan blinked. "This person was little disturbed." She said. "I would say we have the right man."

"Yeah and now he is in the wind."

"Don look here. The houses. The addresses." She looked at her notes. "Oh my God. These are all places he lived in as a child." She said. "He is dealing with the rage." She lifted another half burned picture. "The last house…"

"Tell everyone I want surviellence on that house." Don said. He walked out with Megan. He looked at his watch. Seven-thirty. He smiled at Megan. "Wanna do breakfast?"

Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn. A woman's wrath in labor was something to behold with natural childbirth. Espa was no different. She was full of rage and had taken to shouting violently at everyone. Everyone, but Alan. Her patient father-in-law knew that it was the pain of the labor talking and let it slide.

He had spent countless hours rubbing her back and neck trying to ease her pain a little. Alan knew exactly what was going on having had seen it when Margaret was giving birth.

Espa had alternated between lying on her side in bed, lying on the ball, and pacing through the night. Nothing was comfortable.

Charlie, however, was pale having never heard her swear that much before. He had never known that someone could use that many swear words in a sentence.

He sat on the cot watching the small sweat soaked woman. Her hair was sticky and her eyes were full of pain and anger whenever she looked at him when he reminded her to breathe right.

"I am going to kill him. No wait. I will divorce him and then kill him." Espa said as she paced around the room. She was at ten centimeters and afaced. Her contractions were strong and powerful. She paused and bent over feeling another hard contraction. They were much closer together now.

Alan went to her and rubbed her head gently. "You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do. If he can't be here for me. I sure as hell will not be there for him."

"Hush…you need to calm down." Alan said gently. "I am sure he is…" Actually, he could not imagine what the hell his eldest son was doing and why he was not answering his phone.

She took a breath and nodded allowing him to gently rub her back and her belly to ease her.

Sarah came in. "Where is that husband of yours?" She asked. She was wearing a gown and reached to pull on some gloves. She nodded to the men. "You should get gowned up. She is ready to start pushing for phase two."

Two nurses came in and helped Alan and Charlie into gowns. Charlie was pale as he watched another nurse undress Espa as she lay back on the birthing bed.

Alan walked to Espa and took her hand not even paying attention to her nudity. He patted her leg and smiled down at her. "Are you ready kid?" He asked playfully.

"I would be more so if your idiot son was here." She growled.

"Hey." Charlie said walking to her other side.

"I said the idiot son. Not the smart one." She said looking up at him. Her hair stuck to her face. She looked so undone and miserable and smaller than he had ever seen her.

Charlie bent over the bar and kissed her brow. "Hey…Dad and I are here." He offered her some ice chips. She took them and sighed as she sucked on them.

"Thank God. Otherwise I may have killed my husband."

Sarah looked up from between her legs. "Are you ready to push?"

Don and Megan had managed to grab a quick bite of breakfast before Colby called them. Thomas Lily had come to the last house with a backpack.

Don and Megan arrived and his team jumped out and held their guns on Lily as he came out.

"FBI!" Don cried. "Put the backpack down!"

"Do you know what they did to me?" Lily shouted back. "All I wanted was to be a kid. A normal kid."

"It was stolen from you, but this isn't the way to fix it Tommy." Megan said.

"How would you know?" Thomas Lily screamed. He lifted a lighter and held a small container of gas.

"Don't do it!" Don shouted. Lily drenched himself in the gas and then held the lighter. "Put the lighter down!"

"No." Lily said and let it fall on him. The fire ignited immediately. He cried out in pain and turned to run back into the house.

Don fired dropping him at the door. He was crying out in pain as the fire burned him. The fire department came in and sprayed him down, but not before he had third degree burns over most of his body. He was not expected to live.

Don looked down at his notes. Today was the man's birthday.

Alan pulled out his cell phone and called the FBI main office.

"Federal Bureau of Investigation Los Angeles." A woman said.

"Yes. Can you please tell me where Special Agent Eppes is located?"

"I am not allowed to…"

"I am his father. His wife is giving birth and he is not answering his cell phone." Alan said.

"I am showing him in active pursuit and he can not be called with dispatch. I can have them tell him to call you as soon as he is all clear."

"Thank you. It is rather urgent." Alan said looking down at Espa as she panted against a contraction and Charlie was helping her bear down to push the baby from her.

Don and his team made it back to the office. An agent was waiting for them. "Sir, I have a message for you to call your father."

"Thanks."

Don pulled out his cell and realized it had been off. He saw he made several messages. He listened to them. It was Espa and he heard the growing panic in her voice. The last message he could tell was through grated teeth.

He sighed and dialed his father. "Hey, Dad."

"Donnie. Where the hell are you?" Alan asked.

Espa looked up.

"Is everything all right?" Don asked. "How is Espa?"

"Give me the phone." She hissed. It was an order.

"Espa…I don't think that is a good idea…" Alan said trying to pacify her.

She reached up and took it from him. "DONALD ALAN EPPES! IF YOU ARE NOT AT THIS HOSPITAL AS SOON AS YOU CAN GET HERE, I SWEAR TO GOD I AM DIVORCING YOU!" She screamed into the phone. "I MEAN IT YOUR ASS WILL SO BURN IF YOU ARE NOT HERE BEFORE THE BABY IS BORN!"

Don jumped and held the phone away from his ear. He winced and shook his head. "Honey…what is the matter?" He asked.

"THE MATTER?" She screamed at him. Don's team could hear her clearly and turned to look at Don as he held the phone a foot away from him. "THE MATTER, MY DEARLY BELOVED, IS I HAVE BEEN IN LABOR FOR FUCKING HOURS AND YOU ARE NOT HERE. THAT IS THE MATTER YOU SLIMY SON OF A…"

Normally Alan and Charlie would have been shocked as well, but that was just the latest in the long litany she had been swearing about her other half.

"Sweetheart…" Don was shocked. He had never heard his wife use the F-word before. She was definitely not feeling good. "Honey, I am on my way. Try and calm down." He said gently.

"CALM DOWN! YOU TRY IT WHEN YOU ARE PUSHING YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

Alan grabbed the phone away from her. "I would get here as soon as you can Donnie. She is pushing and if you do not want me to be okay with her divorcing you…"

"Right. I am on my way." Don said and snapped the phone shut.

His team looked at him with large eyes. Colby coughed a little. "She seems a little upset."

Don grabbed his coat. "No shit." He said. "If you need me I will be at the hospital. Apparently I am about to be a father."

Espa had been pushing for nearly an hour and a half. She was exhausted and cursing her husband in at least four languages. Alan and Charlie had their arms wrapped about her back and their hands were on her thighs to help her push down.

Don arrived at the hospital. After asking where she was he ran there. A nurse stopped him at the door and helped him into a gown. He walked in and walked into the curtained area. He could hear Espa whimpered.

"Good girl…three more seconds." Alan said.

Don looked at the scene before him in the birthing room. Espa was on a bed, naked, and sweat covered pushing against herself. Charlie and Alan were to either side of her helping. Dr. Richards and a nurse were between Espa's legs watching for progress.

Espa collapsed backwards against Alan. "Where is he?" She whimpered.

"I'm here sweetheart." Don said gently stepping forward.

Sarah turned to look at him. "Ahh…the husband has come after all. You are just in time. The baby is starting to crown."

Don went and Charlie moved out of the way for him. Espa glared up at him as he bent to kiss her sweaty brow. "Where the hell have you been?" She growled.

"I was working a case. Sorry." He said gently brushing a wayward bit of hair from her face.

"Oh, I bet you are sorry." She turned and looked away from him. "I don't want to see you right now." She hissed.

Don looked up at his father startled. His wife was acting very strangely. He moved to back off so Charlie could return to his place. He sighed. He deserved the harsh behavior for ignoring her when she was trying to call and tell him this.

She looked up in sudden panic. "Don't go! I didn't mean it. Please!" Her voice was small and strained.

Sarah gave him a smile that told him women were like this a lot.

He turned back his dark eyes holding concern. "Are you sure? I can go if you…"

"I love you Donnie…please…I need you." She whimpered tears in her eyes.

That undid him. He rushed back to her side and took her hand. He kissed it. "I'm sorry honey. I really am. I love you too." He said gently.

"Okay you are starting another contraction. Don you need to help anchor her. You can hold her hand and hold her leg or just her hand…"

Espa rolled forward with a grunt. She squeezed Don's hand hard. He gasped in pain and felt a bone pop. It hurt, but he welcomed the pain for now since he had missed most of her time laboring to give birth to their child.

He looked down. He saw the head coming from her body.

"Good…one more should do it." Sarah said patting Espa's leg reassuringly.

"You are having the next one." Espa said looking up at her husband.

"I am not sure I can, but I will try." Don said smiling gently.

Charlie was near him watching his fists to his mouth.

Espa pushed once more. Dr. Richards turned the baby's shoulders and she came out in a rush into the doctor's arms. She gently wiped her mouth and sucked out her nose. The baby cried out.

Espa collapsed, exhausted onto the bed. Alan smiled and gently patted her shoulder. "Good work momma." He said looking down at his first born grandchild.

Don looked at the tiny pink slimy alien that had come from his wife's body. "That slimy thing is my daughter?" He asked as Sarah laid her on Espa's belly for a moment as she cut the cords.

"I'm an uncle." Charlie said.

Espa looked down sobbing in relief and amazement. "Oh my God. She is adorable."

The tiny girl was crying, but not loudly.

Don looked at the little squirming thing that looked like a fish out of water. He heard a thump behind him and turned to look backward. Charlie had passed out.

A nurse laughed gently and went over to make sure he was all right. "Normally the husband does that." She said. She tapped Charlie's face until he came to and looked about.

A nurse took the baby to weigh and measure her as the afterbirth slid from Espa's body.

The last nurse walked to Don. "Let's see about your hand."

"She bruised it." He said. "Nothing really…"

"No. I am sure she broke it. Women are very strong when they are in that much pain." She looked at it and then moved his hand. There as another pop and Don gasped again in pain. The nurse smiled and wrapped it for him.

Alan was stroking Espa's head as she lay there sobbing. "Shh…you did good." He told her. "She is beautiful."

"What do you call her?" Sarah asked after making sure Espa was well. She put a sheet on the new mother.

"Zephyr Magaret." Don said. He bent down and kissed his wife. "You are so beautiful." He smiled as he stroked her face.

"I'm a father." He said amazed.

The nurse with the infant returned. She pushed the sheet down a little and gently stroked the baby's cheek with her mother's breast. Zephyr immediately latched on and sucked. Alan and Don watched captivated by the tiny blood stained thing.

Espa held her gently watching her.

Charlie had been moved to the cot and was lying there with a cold pack to his head and a nurse checking his vitals.

Don smiled at that as well, but mostly he was the happiest man alive. He had been there for the birth of his daughter.

Later that afternoon, after Zephyr had been cleaned and returned to them wrapped in a blanket with a small hat on her head, Don looked at her in her basket. Alan reached in and lifted her with the ease of an experienced father.

"Hello angel." He said.

The baby was sleeping as was her mother.

Don looked at her. "Are you sure that is my baby? I mean, she looks like me and Espa, but she is cuter than what came out of my wife. She had fluffy brown hair."

"Newborns always look funny when they are first born." Alan said. "Here hold your daughter while I go in search of what they did with Charlie."

Don took the baby hesitantly in his arms.

"Hold her close to you." Alan said. "Let her hear your heartbeat. Let her know she is secure."

Don nodded and held her to his chest as he walked to the window. He perched on the sill and looked out a moment before looking back at the baby he had fathered. She was the most beautiful little thing he had ever seen. She had his nose and what somewhat looked like Charlie's dark curly hair, but the rest of her, her skin color, her cheeks, those were her mother.

He gently kissed her head and held her as he realized he had fallen in love. He had never fallen head over heels for anything before. At least not the way he was feeling now. He looked at her and studied her perfection like an artist studying a work of art.

He looked back at Espa who was resting from her long labor. He sighed. He loved her so much and she had given him this perfect creature.

He smiled. "A few ground rules Zephyr." He said softly so he would not wake his wife. "One. You are not allowed to date until you are thirty-five or later. I know what kind of pigs men in their teens and twenties are. Two. You are never to gp to a party unless it is at our home or the school. Three. I hope you become a great person like your mother and teach some fool that love is not a game."

Espa stirred and looked up. She saw her husband framed by the light of the setting sun holding their new baby girl in his arms. She smiled. Don would be a wonderful father. She could tell. Alan had been a wonderful father before him. Surely, Don would have something rubbed off on him.

Don saw she was awake and walked back to her. "I love you." He smiled and sat down on the bed beside her as he gently set Zephyr down on the covers.

Espa curled her arm about her and sighed. "She is so pretty."

"Yeah." Don said. "Like her mother." He said. "Thank you so much." He told her. "I never thought I would be a father. I had given up that dream to make dad happy and have children with a great woman. Now it is not a dream and I am happy. Very happy and in love with the best woman on earth."

"I love you too Don."

He bent down and kissed her gently.

Beside them Zephyr slept on, the birth having taken a toll on her as well. It was not that uncommon.

Espa sighed and kissed her husband again as they watched the little thing yawned and opened her eyes to look at them her eyes bright as she gazed at her parents.


	17. Soft Target

**Soft Target**

28350

Chatter intercepts 

15000

Soft targets 

11

Anti-terror exercises 

1

Mistake

Don was up early. He yawned and looked over at his sleeping young wife. It had been a month since she had given birth and her body was returning to its normal size, although he was happy that her full breasts and fleshed out hips seem to be staying. He wondered what she was doing to slim down. Already her body would make most mothers envious of her if they saw her and their tiny infant.

He glanced toward the cradle. Zephyr, or as he called her, Margot or Mari, was sleeping soundly and snoring lightly. His little precious Mari. He could not believe he had had anything to do with making something so beautiful and tiny on this earth. She was perfect and she was his baby.

He sighed and moved about to dress watching Espa as she slept under the sheet. She had gotten up several times in the night. He had woken enough to hear her moving about and gently hummed to the baby as she nursed her and then changed her.

Changing the tiny thing was easy. He was surprised at first. They did not really smell and the rewards her got for changing her were worth it. Though he could not totally make love to his wife yet, as much as he wanted to, doctor's orders, she still knew how to drive him wild and sate him until they could.

The only think he could not help out with was nursing; hence his wife had to get up. Soon she would pump and get bottles so he could share in the duty as he had asked. He did not like her doing all the work. It was the most amazing thing he had ever watched when his wife nursed his daughter. And once, after, being a curious man after all, he tried the milk for himself. It was warm and tasted vaguely like flour, but was not a bad taste at all.

His cell went off. He bent down and kissed his wife's mouth. She stirred enough to smile and whisper something incoherent. He smiled and lifted his phone to his ear as he looked back at Zephyr once more and walked out shutting the door behind him. "Eppes."

NUMB3RS

While Don was called off to an anti-terrorism drill that had gone bad to start his investigation Espa woke and started for the day.

She walked downstairs in a loose nursing top and jeans as she carried Zephyr in a sling so she could be near mom, but sleep still. Espa was not about to wake her up unless she woke.

Alan was talking to a young woman who looked like she was in her mid-thirties, but pretty. He looked up seeing Espa come in. "Ahh…this is my daughter-in-law, Esperanza." He smiled at Espa with pride in his eyes. "How are you this morning, sweetheart?"

"Good. We both slept well." She said sitting down in a chair facing them as she cupped Zephyr close.

The woman looked over and smiled. "How old is the tiny one?" She asked. "I am a pediatric doctor. Has she been eating well?"

"Like a pig." Espa laughed. She pushed down the edge so the woman could see her. "Her name is Zephyr." She smiled.

"I am Val Eng." She said. She stood up and walked over stooping to look at the tiny thing with curly brown hair and the Eppes family nose. "She looks like Charlie." She said.

Espa laughed. "A little." She nodded. "She has his hair."

"May I hold her?" Val asked.

"Of course." Espa said maneuvering the small baby out of the sling.

Alan smiled watching the two women. "Val graduated the same day Don and Charlie did, Espa." He looked at Val as Espa gave her Zephyr to hold.

"She sleeps deeply." Val said. "That is a good thing." She smiled.

"Espa is Don's wife if you were curious, Val." Alan said.

"Really? You are Don Juan's wife, huh?" Val smirked. "He took me to prom." She said.

Espa laughed. "Don Juan. I think we need to talk more about high school Val." She said.

Val chuckled. "Of course."

"So what brings you hear? Come to see the boys again?"

"No, she is getting married and we and her family are old friends. I invited her to get married here. She is having to move to London soon for her husband's job sos he can't have the great one she planned for."

Espa stood up. "Do you want me to show you the house?"

Val gave Espa the sleeping infant back that Espa put back into the sling with ease. "Sure." She shrugged.

"I was telling her the nursery would be a good changing room." Alan said as they walked to the stairs.

"I think so too." Espa said nodding as they went up stairs. "So tell my about my Don Juan in high school."

NUMB3RS

Don came home about ten in the morning. He walked into the house looking about. "Hey, Dad, you seen Charlie?"

"Right." Alan was saying on the phone. Don pulled off his sunglasses and then his coat. "Forty portable chairs, a banquet table, and an arbor. Uh, for Saturday. Okay, great. See you then."

Don arched en eyebrow as he listened and removed his jacket. "An arbor?" He asked.

Val and Espa came down the stairs. Zephyr was awake and cooing as they walked down together. "You're right, that upstairs nursery would make a great changing room." Val said to Alan.

"Good." Alan nodded.

"Val?" Don said in surprise. He looked at his wife who smiled at him and then giggled as she lifted up her daughter to hold her closer as she fussed a little. He took a step and gave Espa a kiss in greeting before straitening to look closer at the guest.

"Hey, Don." Val said slapping his arm playfully.

Don looked at her in surprise. "Long time."

"Since high school graduation." Val nodded.

Espa smiled as Zephyr cooed.

"Look at you. You look great." He said admiring her.

She sighed. "Thank you. I think the last time I saw you, you were driving off in that VW you had." She smiled.

"My clutch gave out right by Ventura." He chuckled. She nodded and laughed. "What, uh, is going on?" He asked looking from his wife behind Val to his father.

"She's getting married. Yeah, right here." Alan said.

"Yup." Val nodded.

"Oh, you're kidding. What, here at the house?" Don asked. He reached for Zephyr and took his daughter in his arms. She looked up at him and snuggled down into his strong arm against his chest watching him and gurgling softly. He smiled at her a moment before looking back up at Val.

"Yeah, uh, my fiancé and I were planning a big June wedding, but then he just got transferred to London this year, and, uh, my mother, she flew into a total panic, so…"

"Val's parents invited us to the wedding, and I found out what was going on." Alan said. "They just sold their place and they moved into a one bedroom on Wilshire."

"Uh-huh." Don nodded.

"So I said, 'what the hell, it's no problem. Have it here.'" Alan shrugged.

"Yeah, sure, why not, right." Don nodded.

"Thank you." Val said.

"It's not a problem. Really. We've done it before." Espa said a smile on her face as she moved more into the room. Don shot her a little before shifting his daughter a little.

"Wow." Don nodded looking at her.

"So, um, you're an FBI agent." Val said looking at his gun at his side as she chuckled.

"Had to make amends somehow." Don said with a grin on his face. He looked at his daughter. "Though fatherhood does that well too."

Espa snorted a laugh, but she covered it with a cough. Don and Alan smirked at her.

"And you? What are you up to?" Don asked.

"Pediatric surgery." Val smiled.

"Yeah, she's a doctor." Alan could not help, but put in.

"Yeah, yeah." Don said shaking his head.

"So am I, Alan." Espa said.

"I know." Alan said with a grin as he walked to the table.

"So your dad was telling me about Charlie. The math rock star, huh?" Val asked as she leaned against the wall.

Don dropped onto a chair arm as he held his daughter and let her suck on his finger to pacify her a little. "Yeah, well, no surprises there, right?" He said looking up at her.

"We always figured he'd so something special." Val said folding her arms.

"You forgot that big fight you had with your brother when you invited Val to the prom." Alan said.

"Come on, Dad. What are you talking about, fight?" Don said turning to look at him.

Espa and Val shared a look. Espa dropped into the chair Don was sitting on the arm of. She rubbed his back gently as he shook his head at his father.

"He was thirteen. He was gonna go out with her?" Don asked.

"Oh, you'll forgive me if my recollection is different from yours." Alan said looking up at him.

Espa laughed and patted Don's back to soothe him as he turned to shoot his father a look.

Alan smirked as Don turned back shaking his head. Val laughed. "So, anyway, I hear you two work together now." She said.

"Yeah, when I can find him." Don said. Zephyr started to fuss and Espa reached up to take her. "Someone is hungry." He said. "Here you go Mommy." He said as he passed her to Espa who lifted the flap on her shirt and pressed the tiny mouth to her.

"Little piglet." She muttered.

"Which, I mean, not that I don't want to reminisce, but it's why I'm here." He said rising to his feet. He looked at Alan.

"Charlie was in the garage. No, no, wait, I just saw him go out front." Alan said.

"Oh, all right. Hey, great seeing you, Val." Don said turning back to the young woman with a smile.

"You, too." She said.

He pulled her into a half hug and kissed her cheek gently.

"You're gonna come, right?"

"Um…" Don looked from his wife to his father.

Alan nodded his head at him as did Espa.

"Yeah, sure." Don nodded. "I mean, I wouldn't miss it. Absolutely." Don said.

"Good." Val said.

"Like you wouldn't miss your daughter's birth." Espa shot at him.

He looked at her and sighed. "Hey, I got there just in time." He said. He smiled and bent and kissed her as he cupped the back of Zephyr's head. He straitened. "Congratulations." He smiled.

"Thank you." Val said.

"You look great."

"Oh, thanks." Val said looking at Espa who smiled as her husband retreated to the door. She lifted the tiny baby to her shoulder to burp her as she followed her husband out. She paused grabbing a light blanket to put over the baby as she followed him outside to see what Charlie was up to. She had heard he was trying to build a machine that could pull a car.

Don saw her and smiled. He hugged her and pressed a kiss to her brow as his daughter burped. He grinned. "You know Mari that is not very lady like."

Espa chuckled as she rocked her gently as she reached under her shirt to button the nursing bra and the button on the shirt.

"So this is where all those university research dollars go, huh?" Don asked seeing his brother and Larry in the driveway.

"Ah, everything you see here came out of our own pockets." Charlie corrected. "Cal-Sci's 'Minibot Chain Yank and Crank' is next Friday."

"After five years of ignomity, the Physics Department has ascended to the finals against Engineering." Larry said as Don bent to look down at the small robot closer. "Thanks to Professor Charles Edward Eppes."

Espa looked as her husband stood next to her watching the two professors.

"Yeah, I just freestyled Faraday's laws of induction to triple-amp the armature coil and maximize horsepower." Charlie said looking up at them.

"This thing's going to pull the car?" Don asked skeptically.

"Mmm-hmm." Charlie nodded.

Don looked at his wife who shrugged. From the step she was on she was equal in height to him. "This I have to see." She said.

Charlie rubbed his hands together. Larry grinned up. "Six feet to glory."

"Let's do it." Charlie said picking up the remote control as he got up. Larry followed him and they high fived each other.

"Okay." Larry said.

"All right." Charlie said as he raised up the antenna.

"You guys are something else." Don said as he led his wife to in front of the little marked out lines on the driveway. Zephyr was sleeping again and so Espa put her into the sling and covered her with the blanket to keep the sun off of her.

"This is it!" Charlie beamed.

"All right." Larry said.

"Okay, ready?" All right." Charlie said as he started it.

"Come on, come on, come on, Physics Department." Larry said excitedly.

The little robot went out to its chain and started to pull the car.

"There it is. Check it out." Charlie laughed.

"Here we go." Larry said.

Espa looked at Don. Don arched an eyebrow at her and then looked back watching. They were impressed.

"You see that? It's moving." Charlie laughed.

"Oh, magnificent." Larry clapped.

Don watched and nodded though he was still a bit skeptical.

"Look, all right, two feet." Charlie said.

Larry jumped up and down.

"Okay, halfway there. Three feet." Charlie said. "Halfway. Come on, baby." Charlie said.

Don looked up at his brother and the elder professor and smirked. He had never seen either of them that excited. He then looked at his wife who was beaming.

"We did it." Charlie cheered.

Espa looked at her husband and smiled as she shook her head. Science did have its merit on occation. She had to admit that.

Then the little machine stalled out and stopped.

Charlie tried to work the remote and nothing happened. Espa smiled as she watched the two geniuses deflated. She tried to hide it by looking up at her husband. He reached for her and hugged her after a quick smile at her, careful of the baby in the sling.

"Sorry, guys." Don said scratching his ear with his free hand and trying not to laugh at them.

"This is like 1998 all over again." Larry protested.

Charlie scratched his head. Espa walked to the shade and sat down on the low wall. Don looked at her and then smiles at Charlie. "Hey, did you see Val?" He asked playfully changing the subject.

"Yeah, yeah." Charlie smiled.

Don grinned. "A doctor."

"Well, her talents always were in biology." Charlie said.

Don raised his eyebrows and nodded.

"I take it you both knew this woman?" Larry asked looking up from the robot.

"Yeah, we were all in the same class in high school." Charlie said and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting you graduated the same year." Larry said.

"So yes we had Don Juan, a math genius, and a doctor. Not too bad really." Espa said.

Don shot her a look and she smiled up at him innocently batting her eyes playfully. Don licked his lips and shook is head in mock exasperation at her before turning to look back at the two men.

"Don Juan?" Larry asked looking at Don.

"Yeah, apparently, it was his…" Espa giggled, but was cut off.

"Apparently, women need to stop conversing behind their husband's backs." Don said and eyed her again.

Charlie cleared his throat. "So you're not here to talk about Val." He said.

Don turned back and sighed as the conversation turned serious. "Yeah, right. You know anthing about phosgene gas?" He asked. "A diluted form of it was released on the subway this morning."

"Oh, my God." Larry said.

Espa stood up. "Was anyone hurt?" She asked

"No." Don said. "But, yeah, we're trying to figure out if it was an accident, like, maybe a maintenance worker mixing bottles together." He shrugged.

"Phosgene is used in the manufacture of dyes, pesticides." Larry said. "It's in the chlorine family and it is highly toxic. You know, theoretically, it could be accidentally produced by combining certain cleaning agents."

"Yeah, but that is unlikely." Espa said. She closed her eyes remembering back to college chemistry and her father's chemistry lectures to her for the National Lab in Idaho.

"That's…no, that's…that's very unlikely." Larry said

"So, probably it wasn't an accident?" Don asked.

"What was the delivery mechanism?" Charlie asked. "Do you know if it was an air duct or a canister?"

Don shook his head. "Yeah, we don't know yet. Why?" He asked. He drew his wife to his side again and held her. She had paled a little when she heard the conversation turn and he knew she was worried.

"Because when gas dissipates, it leaves a trail behind." Charlie said. "You may be able to determine the original release point."

"And if we find that out?" Don asked.

"You may find who released it." Charlie said.

Don nodded. "Well the team is searching the subway station for clues." He sighed. "I will get you what info I can." He sighed and looked at his wife who's head was against his chest as she listened. "Hey, I have to run and get the stuff for Charlie."

"Duty calls again." She smiled.

"Hey." He said catching her arm as she moved to go back into the house. "I love you, you know." He told her and playfully swatted her bottom gently as he hugged her. He kissed her goodbye and then bent to kiss the baby as he pulled back the blanket.

Larry came over. "You know I have not seen her today." He said. He bent down as Don stepped back to leave and cooed at her. Espa smiled. Larry was as enthralled as the rest of them, but it was cute having him fuss over her as much as Alan did when she was around.

NUMB3RS

The team found in a trash outside an MTA windbreaker, a hat, a gas mask, and a coffee latte to go that had had a hole put in it and then it was resealed.

Back of the office Don and his team were in the war room with Charlie who had worked out the release point. He pushed the button on the coffee and gave it to Megan who like many of his students started sucking it down.

The gas was released in the center of the car. It would have the most deadly effect if it hadn't been diluted with an additive, but it was a clear warning.

Don returned home later to find Espa napping on the couch and Mari dozing in her little swing chair. A pump sat on the floor next to Espa. Don smiled and went to go claim a beer from the fridge and found six small bottles lined up. He smiled a little. He was going to be getting up now.

Espa had suggested they get a small refrigerator for their bedroom so he would not have to run downstairs to get a bottle. He smiled. It was looking more and more like a good idea.

He sighed and went to sit and watch his little girl as the swing moved her back and forth slowly. He smiled. She looked so peaceful.

About a half an hour later she started to fuss. He knew that women often needed to sleep while the baby slept. He gently pulled her out and held her cooing to her softly as he walked toward the kitchen.

Alan was sitting in the dining room reading a magazine. "Ah, our little girl is awake and wanting food." He smiled. "Are you going to wake Espa?"

"No, let her sleep. She pumped some, but I have no idea what to do. I mean, Mari is used to warm milk from mom, not cold from the fridge."

"Warm it up a bit."

"How long?"

"A few seconds. Touch it to your wrist. It is warm it is good. If it is hot then you need to let it cool." Alan said returning to his reading.

Sighing Don walked into the kitchen and did that. He then put on a nipple and looked at his little daughter who had large tears in her little eyes. "I'm sorry honey. This is my first time. I will get better. I'm a fast learner."

He gently brushed her cheek with the nipple as he had seen Espa do with her own breast. The baby looked at him and then opened her little mouth. She started to suck and whimpered.

He sighed and walked out to Alan. "I know. It isn't mommy, but…"

He pressed it against her lips and she started to suck on it. She whimpered for a bit longer and then settled into sucking on the nipple. Don sighed in relief. That went easier than he would have thought. He grabbed a burping rag and sat down near his father.

Alan looked up and smiled. "Actually, I hoped she would take the bottle quickly. It leans you can leave her with me now."

Don watched the little thing as she sucked sleepily. Every time he moved to take the bottle away she sucked on it. Slowly the milk level dropped in the bottle. She looked up at him lazily.

He smiled looking at her. Her curly hair was sticking out in all directions. Her dark eyes held wisdom like her mother as she stared boldly at her father a moment before snuggling down again.

The family had a nice night as a family, relaxing and watching TV. Don had to go in early to talk to Homeland Security's Mr. Houseman.

Don sat holding the baby as much as he could. He often could not because Charlie wanted her while she was sleeping and Alan wanted to play with her when she was awake. He was learning that it was true that babies her size were only awake a couple hours a day. Mostly they ate, filled their diapers, and slept.

Espa was happy to allow them to hold her. She relaxed and was crocheting something as they watched the hockey game.

"You know Lupe said she looks like Charlie when she was here with Dad." Espa said during a commercial.

Don looked over at his brother on the floor. Charlie was leaning back in his hands. He looked up and put on his most innocent face. "Hey, she isn't my kid. I am just the uncle." He said.

Don eyed his wife who smiled coyly at him. "I know." He looked down. Her nose was more beak like than Charlie's was anyway. She was all Don's.

Don smiled remembering the young girl meeting her niece. Yisdro had brought three cases of gifts for them and had bought the swing with Alan. Don sighed, someone was going to have to keep the grandfather's in check since there was no grandmother to do it. He looked at his wife. It was not going to be Espa. She enjoyed the attention and gifts. Don sighed. She desevered all the glory he supposed, but they would fast need to move out because of all the stuff.

"Her curly hair is cool. It will be fun to play with when she gets older." Espa said.

"I have curly hair too you know." Don said. "For the record. I just cut mine off unlike my brother."

"Boys…we know who is the father and who is the uncle. Can we watch the game please?" Alan asked.

The whole family laughed.

NUMB3RS

Don went to talk to Houseman early the next morning. Don tried to threaten him and back him into a corner to stop the drills, but Houseman would not have it. Houseman knows that drills need to go on to protect the city of Los Angeles from terrorists.

Don left him to go and went back to his own office.

NUMB3RS

Espa and Alan were working on the yard together. He was surprised that she was doing as much as she was. Little Zephyr was strapped to her back in a cradleboard her friends from the Sho-Ban tribe had sent her. She had made friends with them in her undergrad days and had kept in touch. The cradleboard was beautiful with Shoshoni beading all over it and a sun shade made of willow and cloth. It had taken sometime to make and Espa treasured it, but she also saw the practicality of it. The strap about the headboard secured about her own head leaving her arms free to work.

Alan had scoffed at first, but she had raked and set about making the yard neat. The wedding was in two days and he was thankful for the help.

She then took a glass of iced tea and sipped it as she sat in the shade taking a break for a moment. She pulled off the cradleboard and her gloves. Little Zephyr woke and looked at her mother from under the sunshade. Espa smiled and held the cradleboard so she could nurse.

She started to sing softly. Alan moved closer enjoying as always his daughter-in-law's voice.

In the morning when you rise  
I bless the sun, I bless the skies  
I bless your lips, I bless your eyes  
My blessing goes with you

In the nighttime when you sleep  
Oh I bless you while a watch I keep  
As you lie in slumber deep  
My blessing goes with you

This is my prayer for you  
There for you, ever true  
Each, every day for you  
In everything you do

And when you come to me  
And hold me close to you  
I bless you  
And you bless me, too

When your weary heart is tired  
If the world would leave you uninspired  
When nothing more of love's desired  
My blessing goes with you

When the storms of life are strong  
When you're wounded, when you don't belong  
When you no longer hear my song  
My blessing goes with you

This is my prayer for you  
There for you, ever true  
Each, every day for you  
In everything you do

And when you come to me  
And hold me close to you  
I bless you  
And you bless me, too

I bless you  
And you bless me, too

She then jiggled the cradleboard a little and Zephyr burped and settled back content in the security of the cradleboard.

"Those are amazing. She never cries in it." Alan observed.

"It is comforting." She said. "There is a reason why Native American women were good mothers for thousands of years."

"Who gave it to you again?"

"The tribal elders of the Sho-Ban tribes in Fort Hall. I am sure that Cerise Racehorse-Dancer was the one who did the beading." She smiled and looked at it. "Shoshoni are known internationally for it."

"A treasured gift." He said lifting a sack of yard debris.

"Oh, yes." She said. She stood up.

"No, my little mother. You should be resting. Charlie and Larry just pulled up. I will see if they can help me." He said.

"I am more than capable of…"

"I know you are, but your husband and Charlie could help out."

"I am not busy like they are."

"No, but you just gave birth…"

"A month ago, Dad."

"You do not need to exhaust yourself when there are able bodied men about here." He grinned at her.

He walked up the driveway and she followed him carrying the cradleboard in her arms.

"Hi, there, gentlemen." Alan called as Larry and Charlie unloaded Larry's car. "What happened, Larry? Charlie draft you into another one of those investigations?"

"You're not going to believe this." Charlie said carrying a box as his dad threw the bag into the trash pile. "Somebody attacked an anti-terrorism drill on the subway."

"Espa mentioned it." Alan nodded. "Was anyone hurt?"

"No, fortunately our budding terrorist utilized a diluted form of phosgene gas." Larry said as he walked up the stairs with a box.

Espa followed them to the porch by the front door. She dropped into a chair in the shade.

"Hey, Charlie, you know I could use a hand getting the yard ready for the wedding." Alan said coming up to them.

"Yeah, Don needs to figure out what happened ASAP." Charlie said. "Besides Espa is home. Have her…"

"She has helped me. More than she should. Come, on, she was your friend, too." Alan protested looking at his daughter-in-law as she smirked into her glass. He sighed. "I guess this is what I get for volunteering, huh?"

"Yeah, for volunteering my house. Yeah, that's fair." Charlie said. "I'm providing house, you provide labor."

"Oh speaking of which I need to give you the rent check for the month." Espa said. "I am paying bills today and…"

"Espa. I am not going to make you pay rent." Charlie said. "You are here because I want you and Don and Zephyr here. He wanted you with family and so you are here."

"I insist. You need something to help with the upkeep."

"You do far more than you should. Dad is right. You cook, you buy groceries, you clean. Honestly, you are like having a maid and a sister-in-law in one. Why would I make you pay to live here? I don't make dad pay."

"He has lived her thirty years and you never paid rent to him. That is different." She protested.

"Not really." He shook his head.

Gretchen walked over from where ever she had been on the yard. They heard her before they saw her from the jingling of the rabies tags on her collar. Her nose and front paws were dirty indicating that she had been digging in the dirt somewhere. Espa smiled as she came over to her mistress and dropped onto her belly in the shade and then onto her back.

Larry looked at "Don's Three Girls" and then back at Alan. "I understand Don and Charles when to school with this girl."

"Oh, yeah." Alan nodded. "Your friend Charlie had quite a crush on that girl."

"Yeah, I was thirteen, and she…she was my lab partner." Charlie said.

"You weren't so casual about it then. Especially when Don took her to the prom. Remember?" Alan asked.

Espa leaned forward. She knew the other side of that story from Val Eng. She would hear Don's side soon enough. She did know that the prom has soon bored the two seniors and they went off in Don's car to make out at 'Lover's Lane' before sneaking to her house since her parents were gone to the Opera to sleep together. Ah, Don Juan indeed.

Espa smirked to herself. Oh, Don was a wonderful lover. He was demanding, but he never left a woman unsatisfied. This was the second woman who had spoken to her about Don's prowess in the bedroom and she knew that they were not exaggerating.

"They actually had a wrestling match about it on the lawn." Alan continued smiling at his son.

"Isn't it nice having a living history of embarrassing moments from my childhood?" Charlie asked.

"No, no, no, I'm quite enjoying the vision of a young Charles Eppes moved to violence by a girl." Larry chuckled.

Gretchen rolled over and moved her paws together in her standard way of wanting attention. Espa shook her head and reached down to scratch the dark belly as the coal eyes watched her.

"Oh, he was moved all right." Alan said smirking.

Espa laughed outright then hearing that.

Charlie looked at him. "You know what, can we…Can we…Why are we talking about…This was something that happened…I have work to do…We have work to…we have to get work done."

"Yeah." Alan said nodding. "Well, I guess I have to clip the hedges myself."

"I will help you in a moment, Dad." Espa offered.

"No." He said looking at her. "You be a mommy and relax. You have done enough for one day."

"Then I am making dinner." She said.

"Fine, deal." He said over his shoulder throwing a look at Charlie before going to the hedges.

NUMB3RS

Don met with Megan in the break room to get coffee. Don was not amused that the Homeland Security office would not react.

David and Colby pulled the tape on the from the subway of the man. The tattoo was the clue to Colby. It was a man names Holstein who was ex-Special Forces who was trained in counter terrorism to test for vulnerability.

The last time his team was surfaced they attacked a chemical lab and most likely got the phosgene from there.

Megan noticed that the man was wearing an earpiece. He was getting orders not giving them so someone else was in play as well. David and Colby already pulled the military jacket on the team leader. A man named Nash.

In 2002 Nash was able to steal a submarine from a Navy base with seven men. They needed to find this man quickly before he hurt people.

Don sent David and Colby to talk to the sister, but she was little help to them. She did not have that much information on him.

NUMB3RS

Don and Charlie were talking in his office when Espa came in. They were talking about work and the threats to the drills. She had come in to check on things at her office. Little Zephyr was home with Alan while she was out since she was running errands for him as well.

"Hey." Don looked up at her. She looked stunning in a tight t-shirt and jeans. He smiled most women could not wear what she was in such little time of giving birth.

Charlie smiled at her. "Hey, Espa."

"I thought I would find you here." She said. She looked at her husband wearing his suit. "I was not expecting you however."

"Is that a bad thing?" He asked. "I can leave if you…"

"No stay you goose." She said as she kissed his cheek.

"Hey, did you hear what Dad's doing?" Don asked. "He suckered Espa into helping him plan for this wedding."

"I volunteered." She corrected.

"Oh, my…He's too obsessed with this wedding." Charlie said.

"Not as obsessed as he was with our reception. He has learned some things." Espa said sitting on a desk and pulling her legs up to cross them.

"Honestly, seriously, he went out and bought himself another copy of _Brides_ magazine." Charlie said smiling

"Our little wedding planner." Don said as he played with a ball in his hand. He smiled at his wife. "You are keeping him in line right?"

She rolled her eyes. "He knows what he is doing."

"Kinda weird, Val getting married at our house, though, don't you think?" Don asked looking at Charlie.

"Uh-huh. Even weirder, because I liked her, and you know, you took her to the prom." Charlie said

"Come on, you're still upset about that?" Don asked.

"No, I…" Charlie looked at Espa. He sighed. "Remembering that brings back other stuff."

"Like what?" Don asked sitting forward.

Espa listened. This was a deeply held problem between them. She knew they were rivals, but she suddenly understood what was going on when the argued.

"Like what it was like to be Don Eppes' thirteen year old brainiac brother." Charlie said sitting down.

"Come on, Charlie don't start." Don said. "I mean, it wasn't that big a deal."

"No, for you, but high school sucked for me, Don." Charlie said. "Man, I was a little kid. Everyone was years older than me. And yeah, there was this one girl who didn't treat me like I was different. She was nice to me."

"It was no easy trick being your brother, either, you know? I mean, you're five years younger than me; we're in the same grade. I'm like an idiot next to you. So, I'm sorry if I was better than you at something." Don said watching his brother.

"Whatever, man. You're…you're…you're the on that asked." Charlie said as he rose and went to the far side of the room.

"Hey, hey, boys." Espa said jumping to her feet. She laid a hand on her husband. "Come on." She said looking at them. She touched Don's face. "Leave him be." She whispered.

"So, predicting how Nash will strike is only half the battle. It's not going to tell you where." Charlie said.

"Well, can you tell us that?" Don asked after a pause.

"No, but Nash will." Charlie said. "I'll tell you what. Let me start by looking at his military operations. Then I think I'll be able to tell you more."

Don nodded. "Okay."

"Okay."

Don looked at his wife. "Hey want to grab lunch?" He asked her. "Since we are kid free for a while."

"I need to…" She was silenced by a kiss.

"Come on." He said softly.

She sighed. "All right. I will do the things for Alan after."

Charlie watched as the door closed behind the pair.

NUMB3RS

Megan, David, and Colby looked into Nash. He had lost some men at a base in Iraq. That fit. Revenge against the government to show that they were vulnerable to attack.

Megan met Don at the door as he was coming back and they talked how they were having trouble finding Nash and the others of his team. They were off the map. Don orders surveillance on Nash's sister's home.

James Grace from Homeland Security brought over the master plans for Don to look at. He also brought over a file to them on Glen Nash. He sent letters of warning to the Homeland Security people. Houseman passed them off as ideal threats. He was also in Special Ops and was of the thought that those type of men do not bark unless they intend to bite.

David and Colby found out before they fell off the grid the crew under Nash worked construction. Megan had them look into whatever was stolen from those jobs.

Charlie came in and talked with the team and Houseman in the war room. He proved with math that City Hall was the next target.

Houseman got a call telling him there was a breach at the Homeland Security office.It was evening. Houseman was looking around as Don and his team looked about with James Grace, Houseman's number two.

No one had come in, but it was clear that there was something else going on. He was watching the team respond though the video cameras.

The team realizes they are in the middle of a game of cat and mouse. Nash wanted the drills to go on, but he was sending a message. Also there was stuff missing from where the guys were working.

Nash was making a bomb.

Don and Megan talk to Houseman and he finally agrees to postpone the drills. Don and Megan, however, don't buy that it was that easy. Something changed Houseman. The security breech at the Homeland Security office

NUMB3RS

"Hey." Don said as he walked into the house.

"Hey, brother." Charlie said sitting at the table.

"What's up?" Don said looking and seeing his daughter sleeping in the swing as he removed his blazer, gun, cuffs, and phone.

"Espa's lasagna." Charlie said. "Some salad. It is really good. Grab a plate."

Espa smiled as she walked in. She set two place settings down. "Hey, Don." Espa smiled at him.

Don walked in and kissed her as he rubbed her back. "Hey there." He said against her hair. "What do you have there?" He asked his brother as he undid his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves. "What is it, high school yearbook? No way."

"Yeah."

Don looked at it. "I don't remember you being next to Val." He said as he watched Espa sit and dish up some food for him.

"Oh, yeah. Val Eng, Charlie Eppes." Charlie said with a smile. "I thought it was part of a greater plan."

"What? I ruined that? What's your quote here?" Don asked looking down as he moved the book before him as he dropped into the chair at the head of the table.

"'Eternal nothingness is okay if you dress for it.'" Charlie said as he rubbed his face.

Don smiled and took a bite of food. He noticed that there were two books stacked down at the other side of the table. They were Espa's books. He smiled. "Oh, yeah, Woody Allen. That's good."

"Yeah." Charlie said.

"I don't remember you being all that funny." Don said looking up at him. He returned to the book to look at his own picture.

"Oh, and yeah, and you were…you were hilarious, right?" Charlie said. "Man, I totally didn't get you. We totally didn't get each other, did we?"

"No. Negative." Don said softly.

"We could have never done this work together as kids."

"No way."

"Can you imagine that?" They said at the same time and laughed. Espa smiled watching and listening as she ate.

"I mean, we're…we're doing all right now, right?" Don asked.

"Somehow, yeah. We're doing all right." Charlie said softly after a pause.

"Charlie, look, you know, I mean, if I did stuff that hurt you when we were kids, I'm sorry." Don said. He was being sincere. Espa knew his tone. She listened watching the brothers move closer in bonding.

"Thank you. You don't have to…I was thirteen." Charlie said.

"Yeah, exactly. You were thirteen." Don said making a face at him.

"She was…she was so hot." Charlie said.

"She's still hot, man." Don said digging into his food. He looked at Espa. Espa had a strange smile on her face. He cocked his head at her.

"And just think how happy Dad would be if I married a doctor." Charlie said.

"I married a doctor. I think he is that I married someone with a pulse really." Don said looking up and smirking. "Ouch." He yelped as Espa playfully smacked the back of his head.

"Dummkoft." She hissed.

He smiled playfully at her. "At least I think you have a pulse." He said reaching for her wrist. He jumped to the side as she aimed a kick at his shin. "Hey, easy now."

He pulled her over and onto his lap. He dipped her backwards and kissed her. He smiled and then pushed her further and lifted her shirt and stared at her navel. "You would not dare." She looked at him.

"I wouldn't?" He grinned at her.

She glared at him, but it did nothing as he pressed his lips to her and blew. She gasped as it tickled and she squirmed to get away.

He let her go as all three laughed.

She looked up hearing a faint whimper. She walked into the living room adjusting her shirt as she went and picked up the baby from the swing.

Don smiled as she walked back lifting her shirt to nurse the baby. She sat down at the table and held the baby girl as the baby suckled. Don watched as Charlie flushed a little and then cleared his throat. He had seen far more than he wanted to of his sister-in-law over the past month. Not that he didn't find his niece nursing fascinating, but he did not to be obvious that he was watching.

"Hey, listen." Charlie said turning to Don. "So something Larry said got me thinking about the targets."

"Yeah, it doesn't matter." Don said around a mouthful. "'Cause they canceled the exercises. We're going to have to catch Nash the hard way."

"That's just it. I'm not so sure the exercises were the targets." Charlie said

"What do you mean?" Don asked.

"Come on, bro, I'll show you." Charlie said standing up.

Don nodded. "All right. I'll be back." He said to her.

NUMB3RS

Don and Charlie talked for about an hour. He came back and finished his dinner that Espa had put in the fridge for him.

He went upstairs and found Espa singing softly to the baby as she rocked the cradle absently with her foot as she crocheted a cute little sweater for the baby.

He closed the door and locked it. He dropped onto the bed and removed his shoes and started to undress.

Espa looked down at the baby. She was asleep. Espa rose. She was wearing his old FBI sweatpants that hung loose on her hips and a tank top. She smiled at her husband. He smiled back as he went about getting ready for bed.

He stood before the dresser and looked in the mirror. She wrapped his arms about him and smiled as she pressed a kiss to his bare back. He smiled as her hands moved up his chest. Then his breath caught as she reached down and cupped his crotch.

"Hmm." She smiled.

"Honey, I do not want to until you are fully healed." He said softly. "I do not want to hurt you…"

"You can't hurt me." She said her hand slipping into the band of his pants.

"What a wanton I wed." He said turning in her embrace to face her.

She smirked up at him as she stroked him as he leaned back. "Unlike you I have been going without for a month." She reminded him.

"Hmm…I could remedy that if you are sure you are ready. We could wait another…"

Her kiss shut him up as he lifted her up onto the dresser and pulled down the sweats as she hugged him close.

NUMB3RS

Don was up and dressed at seven. He looked at his wife sleeping on their bed. It had been good for them to be together again. It had been slow and gentle at first. Don kept track of Charlie from their open window. Music played in the garage until about two am. By then, both he and Espa had been sated more than once. He loved it when she started the advance, but he would never admit it to her because he knew she loved him seducing her as well.

About three, just before Don drifted off after watching Espa sleeping naked in his arms, his little Mari woke up and wanted to eat. He had gotten a bottle, heated it and brought it back to her. He sat in the chair and nursed his daughter.

He smiled. He enjoyed his quality time being a father to his baby girl. He loved holding her and spending time with her. Now he could nurse her on the nights when insomnia struck and he could let his wife sleep as it had last night.

Tomorrow was the wedding and she needed to rest so she could be hostess.

He went into work and was working on looking at the video of the Homeland Security to see what Nash was seeing.

David and Megan came in. They saw how scared Houseman was. They looked at his laptop that Houseman had looked at.

Over 1900 KIA You're gonna burn –

Someone had hacked into his laptop and threatened him. Don sent David to go put him into custody willingly or unwillingly and to have a bomb squad over there.

Nash was going after Houseman not the drills. David told them that Houseman had not shown up for work. Colby reported that Nash was found at his sister's house.

Don and his team went to the house. Nash was there. They went and hit the house and had the sister pulled to the side as they arrested Nash who talks back to them. Don is not in a mood to play as he cuffed him.

At the office, in interrogation, Nash did not know what they were talking about. He pointed out that if he had been in charge they would not have been able to find him. Don realizes that most likely is correct.

David found out he was not even in the country until a couple of days ago. He was in Mexico in drug rehab.

Megan had an army file. She realized that Nash had been served to them on a platter. The number two of Houseman's, Grace, was a major in the army, lost men in the first Iraq war.

Don got a call that told him that Houseman was spotted with James Grace.

They went with SWAT to the roof of a building where Grace and Houseman were. Grace had Houseman in a bomb. Don and Megan realized in short order that even this is an exercise and the bomb was not real. Don defused it by yanking the wires leaving Houseman almost having a heart attack. Grace was arrested, but his was very proud of what he had done to prove a point to Houseman for what he did to people in Iraq.

NUMB3RS

The next day the wedding guests arrived and Alan was helping people find their seats. Espa was inside with the bride and her mother. Music was playing and all was being set up by the caterer.

Alan walked to his sons who were arguing. Don was slapping his brother's hands away from him. They were both in their best suits.

"Get off." Don hissed.

"Can I just adjust your tie?" Charlie asked.

"My wife did it. You're acting like I was getting married." Don hissed.

"Boys, boys." Alan chided. "How do you like the flowers, hmm?

"It's great." Charlie said nodded.

"Yeah." Don agreed.

"I was thinking of getting potted kumquats, but uh…" Alan said.

"Dad, what…whatever you did the place looks beautiful. Again." Charlie said.

"Absolutely. Good job." Don said

"Yes, well you need to thank Espa for that. A woman's touch is a good thing."

"You throw a great wedding." Charlie said.

"Remember that Charlie." Alan said.

"Oh, here we go." Don said

Espa walked out from the door holding little Zephyr on her hip. The little infant was in a summer dress of pale pink with a large sun hat on her head. She was looking around as her mother dressed in a green and black A-line sheath dress held her against her.

Don smiled up at her. "Oh, my God you look amazing." He said. He reached for the baby and held her as her mother stepped down. "You did a wonderful job planning again sweetheart." He said and kissed her cheek. He looked at his daughter and bounced her lightly. She gurgled as she looked at all the things in the back yard that were all strange and new to her. Her stroller was to one side of the back row where Espa could put her if she fell asleep.

The baby's head flopped back and her father cupped it with his hand on the back of her head as he shifted her head in his palm and her body on his arm. He smiled at her. "Careful honey, you will hurt your neck trying to look at everything at once." He said and smiled at her as he bounced her. She was small, but secure on his arm.

Espa watched him with his baby as did Alan and Charlie. Neither one of the Eppes men would have imagined Don to be such a loving and affectionate father.

"Mr. Eppes." A soft voice said from the stairs behind them.

They all turned and smiled up at Val as she stepped out in Espa's wedding dress that she had burrowed. Espa was not going to wear it again so she had it sized to Val who was about the same size as she was now.

"I just wanted to thank you." Val said. "You and Espa."

"No, it's Alan and you look absolutely lovely." Alan said.

Don looked up. "Isn't that your dress?" He asked softly to his wife.

"Yep. I believe in saving money where possible." She said back to him. He nodded and smiled. "Good call."

"Oh, thank you." She said.

"Huh?" Alan asked his boys.

"That's a beautiful bride." Don smiled.

"Espa. Thank you so much for singing and I love this dress." Val said.

"Of course." Espa said. "Do you need help with your hair? I can have Don watch the baby while I do it."

"No my mom has it, but thanks." Val said.

"So where's the groom?" Charlie asked.

Val stepped forward holding the train. "Ah, oh, Ben's over there." She said nodding toward where the man stood next to the pastor who was going to marry them. "I better get back inside before he sees me. Check up with you later?" She asked.

"Yeah." Charlie said.

"Hey, congratulations." Don said smiling.

"Yeah." Charlie said.

"Thank you." Val said as she walked back in for some last minute touch ups.

"And he's a doctor, too." Alan said.

"So am I, Dad." Charlie said. "So is Espa."

"That's what I meant." Alan said

Espa smiled at her husband. She took a breath filling the bosom of her dress so he could look down it. He smirked at her and they both cooed over the baby as she looked about and cooed at them.

"Are you Charlie Eppes?" A young woman in a creamy pink dress asked.

"Sure, why not?" Charlie said.

"I'm Bree." She said. When Charlie cocked his head she sighed. "Bree Eng."

"Bree Eng. You're Val's cousin." Charlie said as Don and Espa looked on amused. Alan stood by watching as well.

"Right." She said

"Wow, you were, so, so little." He said

"Not so little anymore." She said straitening to look Charlie level in the eyes. "I was looking for an escort." She said. She tossed a look at Don who shook his head.

"Uh, sorry, uh, groom side." He said. He smiled and drew his wife closer his hand on her hip possessively.

"Lead on." Charlie said holding out her arm for her to take. She did and they walked to the seats.

"Okay." She said.

"Your cousin looks beautiful."

"So does your sister-in-law." She countered softly. "But thanks I know, I was there." They came to the row for her and she smiled. "Thanks."

"It was real nice to meeting you again." He said taking her hand.

"Nice to meet you." She smiled and sat down.

Don sighed. "He's got to close, though." He muttered to his father as he passed Zephyr back to her mother as he watched his brother in action. "You know. That kid's gotta learn how to close."

He and his father walked a bit away from Espa as she was surrounded by a woman who started to chatter and fuss oer the baby.

"Yeah, that's what he needs. A seminar from the accidentally married man." His father said.

"Hey, I don't see you with a date, pal." Don shot back. "And I am a happily accidentally married man, thank you." He said.

"Who says I don't have a date?" Alan asked. He nodded as a woman wearing an apron came from the kitchen and waved at them.

"The caterer?" Don asked.

"Yes, the caterer." Alan said

"Nice."

"She has a daughter, too."

"Dad, I can take care of myself and I am married remember." Don shook his head.

"I was thinking for Charlie. See look there she is." He said as the small thing walked out and set down a tray next to her mother.

"That's her daughter?" Don asked.

"Uh-huh." Alan said.

"Well, that's food for thought." Don said looking at Charlie as he spoke with Espa and was kissing his niece's little hand as she moved to grab his nose. "She's cute." Don agreed.

The ceremony went very well. After the vows were spoken Espa stood up as the pastor looked up at her.

She smiled at the crowd. "This song is my gift to the bride and groom. I thank them for doing us the honor of having their wedding here at the Eppes family home." She cleared her throat and began to sing one of the most moving wedding songs anyone had ever heard.

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;  
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;   
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,  
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;  
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;  
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;  
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;   
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;  
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;  
You raise me up: To more than I can be. 

There is no life - no life without its hunger;  
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;  
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,  
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;  
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;  
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;   
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;  
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;  
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;  
You raise me up: To more than I can be.  
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

Don listened as he rocked the stroller lightly and saw that his wife was not looking at the bride and groom much as she sang. She was looking at him. He took a breath. He smiled. He needed to hear that song again. It was very moving.

After Espa got a huge round of applause as she bowed and then went to sit down. Don smiled at her and kissed her cheek.

The rings were exchanged and then the bride and groom kissed. Then it was time to mingle with the crowd. Don stayed close to his wife and daughter as people poured over to talk to her about her amazing voice. Don felt nothing but pride for her and he smiled as he held his small family beside him as he sipped champagne. It was a good day and he was glad to be there and he was glad to be a married man with a baby.


	18. Two for the Price of One

**Two for the Price of One**

150,000

Dollars

2

Bullets

6,000

Royals

2

Little Girls

Somewhere in the haze of sleep a cell phone was ringing. Esperanza Eppes rolled over to look at her husband who was awake and looking at the cell phones on the night table. "Your team needs you now?" She asked yawning.

"No, it's yours." He said handing it to her. He sounded puzzled as much as she was.

"This had better be good to be calling at three-thirty am." She sighed and took it. "Hello?" She asked. She could see her husband in the darkness smiling a little. Gretchen lifted her head to look at them and got up. She walked in a circle and curled up closer in a ball against Don's knee.

"Is this Esperanza Urriolabetia?" A soft voice asked.

"Yes. Do I know you?"

"Yes. Allah be Praised. This is Aisha. Remember from AUB."

"Oh, my God." Espa said sitting up. Her husband watched her curious. "What is wrong?"

"I'm leaving him."

"Who?"

"I'm leaving my husband. Esperanza. Please. I need your…"

"Are you crazy?" Espa asked her. "You can't leave you husband." She gasped. "He is a…"

"A prince I know. Please. I have money. We just need to stay at your home for a day or two."

"That isn't wise. Is he there?"

"No."

"Are you in danger?"

"No."

"Then sleep on it. Please. Don't do anything rash and get yourself killed. If you still think you need help in the morning I will have my husband come and get you."

"You're married?"

"Yeah, to a lovely man." Espa said taking Don's hand and kissing it softly. "He is FBI. He could help you. His name is Don Eppes."

"You are lucky. All right. He is at a club. He should be away. Thanks Esperanza."

"Sure."

The woman spoke then in Arabic. Espa nodded and took a breath and answered her. Don arched an eyebrow as he lay there listening to his wife.

Espa closed her phone and gave it to him to put on the table again.

"What was that about?" He asked sleepily.

"An old friend was about to do something rash. If she still needs help I will have you go get her."

"All right. What is it?"

"I think her husband beats her or something. He is away."

Don looked at her. "Have her call LAPD."

"It is not that simple. She is a Muslim married to a Muslim. I could be worse if she leaves him."

"How?"

"I understand that culture, remember? Go to sleep. You need to be up early tomorrow." She said and kissed him softly.

NUMB3RS

Don was called out to a crime scene at six am. He sighed as he pulled up. It was an alleyway without much lighting, but the police had set up some for crime scene photos.

"Hey, David." He said seeing the man looking at a couple bullet casings.

"Hey."

"What have we got?"

"A Jane Doe. No ID on her, but I have not checked out the purse, but she is wearing an Armani tailored suit. Looks Middle Eastern." David said.

Don pulled on a pair of gloves as he looked under the sheet. "Double tap to the head. Execution." He said as he lowered the sheet. He lifted the purse and looked in it. "Whoa." He said as he pulled out a stack of hundreds. "This has to be at least a hundred grand." He said. "More."

"So she was not killed for a robbery." David said. "Matches the fact she still has earrings and rings."

"Yeah, this was a killing for some other gain." Don said looking down. "You are right though, no ID. But here is a copy of a book. It looks like Arabic." Don looked at it. "I think it is the Quran. I will have Espa look at it for us."

"She we have a Middle Eastern rich woman killed in the middle of Westminster." David said.

Don pulled out his phone. Espa was likely up feeding Zephyr anyway. "Hey honey, I need you to come down to the FBI office and consult on something for me."

NUMB3RS

Don walked into the office. Megan met him as he got off the elevator. "Is my wife here yet?"

"No. Are you expecting her?"

"Yeah. We have a dead Middle Eastern woman. We need her to help us find out who and why."

"There is something else Don."

"What?" He asked.

"Espa can help us I am sure." She led him to an interrogation room where two girls were sitting. He looked at them. They were sisters to be sure. They looked tired and upset. "They came in at five am. When I got here the agent just said they wanted Don Eppes. They could not say more."

"They don't know English?"

"Doesn't seem like it." Megan said.

Don sighed. "Okay…" He walked off and looked over as the elevator door opened up. He moved to his desk and smiled as Espa walked into the office.

"So what was so important to interrupt Zephyr's morning feeding and leaving her with grandpa?" She asked.

"Well I need you for a couple of things. We have a Jane Doe who was reading this book." He pulled it out of the evidence bag.

"The Quran in Arabic." She said leaving through it. "So your Jane Doe is Middle Eastern."

"Yeah, we thought as much. Hence you are here." He smiled. "Oh, consultant."

She laughed good naturedly. "Why else?"

"We have two girls here." Megan said. "They can not speak anything, but a foreign language, but they have said Don Eppes repeatedly."

"Okay. Well, let me see them and get them settled." She said.

"This way." Don said leading her to the first interrogation room.

The girls stood up. At once they started chattering. Espa took a breath and looked at her husband. She held up her hand and spoke trying to calm them by her tone.

Finally she got to them to sit back down. Don sat down and listened not understanding a word except when his name was repeated by the girls and FBI. Espa sighed and nodded to Don and said his name.

At once the girls were on their feet and grabbing Espa. Don moved to stop them, but Espa held up her hand as the girls started to sob.

After an hour Espa was able to pry herself away from them after Megan brought in some McDonalds from down the street. She sighed and walked out followed by Don and Megan.

"Were you listening?" Espa asked her.

"Yeah. I did not understand them, but I could read their faces." Megan said.

"Their names are Miriam and Karima." Espa said leaning against the wall as she looked at Don. "They are from Saudi Arabia."

"They had no ID on them." Megan said.

"I am not surprised. Men in that country control everything about their families, especially their female relatives."

"They are dressed kinda casually for being Saudis aren't they?" Don asked looking at them through the glass. "I mean no veils…"

"Yes, but they are in America." She said. "The men are forced to give them a little slack because of our laws."

"How old are they?" Don asked. "They seem young."

"Sixteen and fourteen." She sighed. "They said their mother sent them to find you." She said. She sighed. "That is weird."

"Well, did they tell you why?"

"No, they were too upset." Espa said. "I tried, but they were crying too much and quoting the Quran."

"All right. We will keep them here until we find out more." Don nodded. He sighed. "Well, on to part two?" He asked as he walked with her to the war room.

He nodded to the crime scene photos. "They are a bit graphic. The woman was executed at point blank range. Double tap to her head, very professional."

She nodded. "So she upset someone."

"She had one-hundred fifty thousand dollars in her purse." Don said. "Who in Saudi has that kind of money?"

"Those with oil interests." She said. "Explains why she is wearing Armani." She said.

"You miss little, my love." Don smiled.

An agent came in with a file. She gave it to Don. He looked at it. "Preliminary ME report." He said when he saw Espa's look. "Yep shot from in front, two bullets." He said. He sighed.

He looked at the photo of her on the medical slab. "She was damn young." He said. "Kinda pretty too."

"Let me see." Espa said.

He nodded and passed it to her. She looked at it. He heard her sharp intake of breath. He and Megan looked over at her. Espa had dropped to the floor after missing the chair she had meant to drop into.

Don was on his feet looking at her white face. He dropped down beside her. "Honey, what is it? You look like you have seen a ghost."

"She said her husband was away." She whispered and shook her head. She pressed a hand to her mouth to stop the bile that rose in it. She took a breath and looked up at the crime scene photos. "Don, this is Aisha, the woman who called me this morning."

Don looked at her shocked. "You told her to call me if…"

"I know…" She said and shook her head to clear it. "Oh, my God." She whispered. "He killed her. The bastard killed her."

"Who Espa? Her husband? Why here?"

"I don't know." She said fighting back tears. "Don its worse." She whispered to him.

"How is it worse than having your friend murdered after she called you?" He asked gently caressing her face trying to calm her.

"Don she is part of the royal family."

"What?" He asked.

"She's a princess. Married to a Prince. His name is Jamil." She said. She took a breath and stood up brushing herself off as he gently held her elbow.

"Oh, man." Megan said softly seeing Espa's point. The prince would have certain rights and they might not be able to touch him for the cold blooded murder of his wife.

"Are you all right?" Don asked. "I think you should go home and…"

"No, Don, no." She hissed. She looked at him her eyes full of tears and determination. "You are going to get the son-of-a bitch who did this and I am going to help you."

"How do you know her?" Don asked as Espa sat down in the seat.

She sighed as he dropped into the table next to her and pried the photo from her hands. "She went to AUB with me. She married the semester before I got my PhD." She sighed. "She is an American too, but her father is from Kuwait and rich. He is in the oil business." She sighed and looked up at him.

"All right. Megan, look into what you can find about Jamil and Aisha." Don said. He touched her quivering hand. He was not sure if it was from shock or from rage. He could not see her eyes because of her head being bent down. "Are you sure you are all right?" He asked.

"Fine." She nodded and looked up at him. She swallowed and brushed her tears away. "I will start working with my people to find out why she was here and see if I can find any information out on the girls for you."

"All right. Thanks." He said. He caught her arm as she rose. "Hey. I love you. Do not think it is bad of you not be affected by this, okay. I have lost friends too." He said. "You don't have anything to prove you know." He told her softly. "Not to me, not to anyone."

"I know Don." She said. "I will manage. We can talk about my feelings when we get home."

He nodded and stood up. He kissed her brow. "Okay." He said.

NUMB3RS

Don sat watching Espa as she sat with a headset talking to her overseas friends in Arabic. She could really pull strings when she needed to. He had looked over her shoulder and saw she was talking to someone from the Saudi Embassy.

She sighed sitting back as she hung up and rubbed the back of her neck. She sighed in pleasure as she felt a larger, more calloused hand replace hers. She looked up to see Don there looking down at her with a soft smile on his face.

"What did you find out?" He asked.

"I need to go to the go get something from a friend."

"You are not an FBI agent. You are not going alone." He said firmly.

"Then I will take Colby." She said as the young man walked into earshot and froze. "We can talk about Idaho." She smiled.

"What?" Colby asked.

"Go with her." Don said. Colby nodded as Espa got up and moved toward the elevator. Don caught Colby's arm. "Guard her with your life, you hear me." Don said his voice low.

Colby nodded.

They got into her car. "So I heard from Don you are from Idaho."

"Yeah I was born and raised there." Colby said not sure he liked being in charge of his boss's wife and safety. "I grew up in Winchester."

"Wow. Small town America." She smiled. "I grew up in American Falls before we moved to Boise." She said.

He smiled. "I think Don thinks us both country bumpkins." He smiled.

"Don got to see American Falls when we drove up to have our honeymoon in Yellowstone." She said a smile on her face. "He had never seen so many fields and lack of people…or pine trees."

"Pine trees? There are pine trees in Cali." He said eyeing her.

"Shows you how often he gets out of LA." She said. She pulled up onto a sidewalk and parked. She got out and so did he. "Stay here. I will be in earshot."

"Look, Mrs. Eppes. I am not putting my career on the line with your husband because you do something stupid like go up to someone alone." Colby said seriously.

She looked up at the man and sighed. "Very well, but keep silent and don't give on you are FBI. Be casual like a boyfriend." She said.

"All right." He smiled a little.

He walked beside her. When he made no move to touch her she reached for his hand and held it as they walked. She shot him a look and he swallowed.

A man stepped out from a tinted car when he saw them. He spoke and nodded to Colby. She smiled and flipped her hair and smiled a loving smile at the young man as she spoke. The man nodded and then handed her a stack of paperwork speaking to her.

She nodded. The man bent and kissed her cheeks and she his, even as she felt Colby stiffen a little. She dug her nails into his hand in warning.

The man nodded to her and walked back to his car and was driven away.

Espa walked back to her own car still holding Colby's hand. Finally she let it go and he looked at her. "You wanna tell me what the hell that was all about? I mean, Don might kill me for that. Not that you are not an attractive woman, but he is…" She pressed a finger to his lips.

"We have some things to help you and Don to investigate Aisha's murder." She said. She got into the driver's seat and buckled up. She put the stack on his lap as he buckled in.

He opened one and his eyes widened. "How did you…"

She shot him a look and he shut his mouth realizing it was pointless to ask her. "Coffee?" She asked seeing that they were coming up to a Starbucks.

"Uh…Sure."

"My treat."

"Hey, if the boss is buying how can I say no?" He grinned.

"Oh the FBI is getting the bill." She grinned back.

"Even better."

NUMB3RS

Colby and Espa arrived back sipping their Venti coffee drinks when they saw Don, Megan, and David talking to three men. Espa moved quickly to her husband's side. "Hey, what is going on?" She asked him.

"These men are demanding we released the girls to him. He says he is Jamil, Prince of Saudi and he wants his kids. He also says that you will not get away with it." Don said.

"What?"

"There you are you little whore." The taller of the men hissed with a heavy accent. "You will not get away with this."

"I am sorry, your highness, I do not know what you are speaking of." Espa said spreading her hands. "It is a pleasure to meet you again." She said.

He thrust a paper at her. "Aisha went to the courts here and put a restraining order against me to see my children. She also gave custody upon her untimely demise to you Dr. Urriolabetia."

"What? Hold on." Don said as he looked at the paper.

"This is a legal document." Espa said. "You can try to challenge it, but you will not get far. Your children were born here in American and it says that Aisha never gave up her citizenship. You can not take the children."

"You would deny their own father?" He asked.

Espa saw the girls cowering in the room they were in having seen and no doubt heard him. "Yes, I would, since they fear you as much as your wife did." She took a step forward. "Did you know she was going to leave you?"

"Espa." Don said trying to back her off.

"She was a foolish woman. I should have never agreed to vacation here and never agreed to have my children born here. It is an insult." He growled.

Espa drew herself up. "Oh, I am sure. She knew what kind of monster you were turning into. She was smart. She out thought you every step of the way." She smiled. "Hmm…men have the brains indeed." She was taunting him. "I should have my husband question you."

Don listened and reached for her, but she evaded his grasp.

"You are a bold foolish woman as well." Jamil said. "I am a prince and am immune." He said tightly

"Who is a doctor and knows more than you will ever know about the world since you live in your princely bubble." Espa said. She laughed at him. "You would hide behind that you coward?"

David and Colby looked at each other. Espa was getting too bold.

"Coward?" The man cried. That had hit a nerve. He yelled something in Arabic into her face.

She looked up at him and spoke very low in Arabic back to him her eyes bold and daring.

He gasped and backhanded her sharply knocking her head to her left in a hard snap. She yelped, her hands going to her face. Don was too late to stop it, but he, David, and Colby pounced as Megan pulled Espa back. Don put the man in handcuffs as he looked at the other two men daring them to do something.

They lifted their hands knowing it would be stupid to do anything in an FBI office. Don nodded at them. "Good. Go with that agent who will take you to a waiting room."

Don looked at Espa who was wiping blood from her nose as David and Colby took the man to interrogation room two. Don was shocked to see his wife smiling even as her nose bled onto the cloth that Megan had given her. "That was stupid, why did you say those things to make him hit you?" He asked.

"Because you witnessed it. You can arrest him for that and hold him for a day so we can find out if he had anything to do with Aisha's death." She said looking up at him.

"You knew that if he attacked someone under the eyes of police that we could hold him." He swallowed. "Very smart, my love, but it cost you."

"Nah. He hits like a girl." She said smiling ruefully.

NUMB3RS

Don had marched his wife to the bathroom while Colby and David interrogated the Prince. He looked and made sure her nose wasn't broken. She smiled at him as he looked at her. "I love you." She said softly.

"Don't do something like that again." He said cupping her chin as she leaned against the sink.

"It worked didn't it." She protested.

He sighed and looked down. "Yes, but…" He sighed and looked at her. "Okay, so we have twenty-four hours to look into a Prince of Saudi Arabia. What can you tell me that will help me?"

"I have his military records, his family background, his finances…" She said leaning back to look at his face.

"How did you get those?"

"Don't ask." She said straitening and moving to the door.

"You must have broke about sixteen international laws." He said following her.

"No. I just have powerful friends."

"So I have noticed." He said looking at her as she paused in the hall.

"What are we going to do with the kids?" She asked.

"They can't come with us. We don't have enough…"

"Don, I am not sending them to a home." She said. "They are my legal responsibility. They are just two kids."

"Our legal responsibility." He corrected. He looked at her and leaned his arm about her as she leaned against the wall. "Well, I mean, we have the floor, but…"

"That will work. It will be a sleepover." She said. "I need to talk to them. I mean their mother is dead and they are afraid of their father."

"They're afraid of their father?"

"Yes. I saw them hiding when he came in."

"All right." He said and sighed as he rubbed his face. She reached up to caress his cheek and leaned up and kissed her husband. He smiled as he kissed her. "You know you won't always be able to win me over with a kiss." He said gently.

"Ah, but I can try." She smiled up at him and walked toward interrogation room one.

She looked at the girls. They were pacing. She sighed and spoke. The elder, Miriam, answered her. Espa nodded. She looked at her husband. "They said that they were supposed to find you and therefore me because their mother told them we would keep them safe."

"Well, we will." She sighed and reached to her chest. "You, okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I need to pump." She said. She looked at the girls and spoke.

They nodded and smiled a little.

Espa chuckled and walked out. She caught Don's arm as he moved to follow her. "Stay here."

He stopped and sighed. He looked at the sisters and then nodded.

NUMB3RS

Espa sent the bottles home to Alan with Charlie so she could continue to work with Don. She sighed as she read a file that was in Arabic. She looked over at Don who was reading on his computer. It was getting on towards dinner.

"You know Miriam was to be married in two weeks?" She said softly.

He looked up. "Wait, isn't she only sixteen?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "It is Saudi. That is old for a girl to marry."

"So why did her mother want you to be their guardian."

"I don't know Don. I mean we have not spoken in a couple of years."

"Well she kept her citizenship here, so they courts will honor the guardianship at least for now." Don sighed as he looked up as David and Megan came over. "What have you got?" He asked.

"The Prince is still demanding that we can't hold him." David asked.

"Well we have about sixteen more hours to look into this." Don said.

"Don, I really need to go home and see to Zephyr." Espa said.

"Honey, we need to find…" Don said softly.

"I know. I will work there." She said.

"All right." He looked at her. "We can take the girl's home and get them settled. Then we can work through the night, huh?"

She nodded. She rose to her feet. He reached for his jacket as she walked to the interrogation room. She rounded up the girls. Don smiled at them as they walked by him. He walked behind them into the elevator. They walked together to his suburban.

The drive was quiet. Don kept looking in his rear view mirror to see the girls as they looked about. At the Eppes home they walked out and into the family home.

Alan looked up from the game. "Hello. Who are these girls?" He asked turning. He was holding little Zephyr in his arms.

"Princesses Miriam and Karima." Don said nodding to them as the girls walked to the dining room table.

Alan stood up and offered Espa the baby. "I will start dinner." He said. "Why are they here?" He asked. "Princesses from where?"

"Well, Espa was given guardianship." Don sighed. "They are Saudi."

Espa walked to the dining room and smiled at the girls. She spoke to the girls. They smiled and looked up. Miriam lifted her arms. Espa smiled and handed her Zephyr to hold. Don walked in feeling a bit disturbed that Espa just gave over his baby to two new girls. He sighed seeing that the girl knew how to hold the infant and relaxed a little. He sat down near them as they cooed to the baby as she woke and looked at them.

Espa shooed Alan out of the kitchen so she could make a Middle Eastern meal for them. Alan sighed realizing it was hopeless to help as she worked on a quick and easy meal for them all.

Alan smiled and played with his granddaughter and the two girls. Don watched them. His father always seemed to bond with people. He also could tell that the girls were more relaxed since seeing the baby and the older man.

Espa came out of the kitchen a short time later carrying some bowls. Don jumped up and helped her. He smiled at her as they set the last of it down and kissed her tenderly. "Thanks sweetheart."

The girls ate very well. After holding Zephyr for a while longer while Espa and Alan set up there beds on the solar floor, the girls settled down. Alan, Espa, and Don settled down to talk downstairs as Don and Espa worked.

Espa was reading a file as she held Zephyr who was nursing. Don sat next to her gently rubbing her thigh and watching his tiny daughter nurse as he looked up. Espa was so casual about nursing while doing other things like reading.

"Well Jamil was in debt. That would explain why he is marrying Miriam his older cousin Quassim." She sighed looking up. "I am still wondering what Aisha did to get herself killed."

"Well, maybe it was an honor killing." Don said.

"But why would they let the girls live?"

"Well, like you said, maybe Jamil was getting economic gain from his daughter's marriage. Maybe she as an American spoke out."

"With good reason." She said looking at the file. "He is best friends with the religious police leader in the sector." She swallowed. "He was charged with raping two girls who were eight, but the charges were dropped."

"How so?"

"Most likely it was a poor family and he bought them off for use of the girls."

"Use? They are kids Espa."

"Yes, kids for sex since men want virgins in Saudi." She sighed and rubbed her face. "Aisha wanted to leave Jamil. Jamil was marrying his daughter to a cousin who has a pedophile's best friend."

"You think she was afraid for her children?"

"What if Jamil attacked his daughter?" She asked looking up at him. "That would explain their fear of him."

He sighed. "Yeah."

"I am not turning them back over to a man who can skip back to Saudi and we will never see them again."

"I agree." He said. He reached over and took Zephyr as Espa lifted her to burp her. He sighed and bounced her gently to get her to burp.

"Still leaves the problem of keeping him in order for him to serve for his wife's murder."

"Yeah. Well. We have a few hours yet." He sighed. "Do they not speak English?" He asked. "I mean totally do not understand it?"

"No. It is no big surprise either. I am not sure if they can read and write." She said with a sigh.

"What? They do not educate women in Saudi."

"Keeping your wife illiterate keeps her under your thumb Don. It is not that uncommon in the world." She sighed. "They are pretty girls."

"Yes, they are." He looked at her seriously. "We can't be parents to a pair of princess foreign girls."

"They are US citizens Don."

"They do not speak English. I mean, they can talk to you, but I am a father. I need to be able to talk to them as well."

"Are you saying that is their fault?"

"No. I am just saying that we are not ready to be parents to two teenage girls dropped in out laps." He sighed. "I am sorry, but I had to say it. We have neither the home nor the ability."

"Maybe you don't, but I have to do something for them Don. I can not turn them to the US foster care program. I can not just sit by and let the go back to Saudi. I have to mother them because their mother wanted me to."

"This is about that isn't it? You are feeling guilty and so you are trying to make it up." He said.

She eyed him. "Do not analyze me like one of your suspects." She hissed.

He sat forward and cupped her chin. "No. I am telling you honestly as a husband." He said.

She sighed. "All right. What do you suggest?"

"We need to find a good home for them." He said gently. "But we have no room here Espa."

"I know." She said holding her head. He reached up and caressed the back of her chin. "I am sorry I dumped this on you." She said looking up.

"No, no…" He said gently. "It was dumped on you and I am here to help you. We are partners Espa. In everything."

He hugged her to him and pulled both her and his daughter into his lap and held them close.

NUMB3RS

Don looked at the Prince who was sitting in the interrogation room. "You need to tell me why you would kill your own wife?"

"Why would I kill me wife? I loved her." Jamil said. He looked at the man sitting with him. He was a man from the embassy.

"I thought you were here to talk about his highness attacking an agent." The man from the embassy said.

"Well, she is not an agent. She is a consultant for us." He met the prince's eyes. "And she is my wife."

"You understand that I would never kill my wife. I loved her."

"Why are your kids afraid of you?"

"I do not know. I love them." He said. "I am sorry I hit your wife Agent Eppes." He sighed. "My children belong with me in Saudi Arabia."

"Your American wife thought otherwise. They are all US citizens and all three have rights here. Your wife has the right for her killer to be found and your kids have the right to the protections of this country. One of those is not into a marriage they do not want."

"How did you find out about Miriam's marriage?"

"I have sources." Don said looking up at the one-way glass that he knew Espa and Megan were sitting behind watching.

"I see." The Prince said. "I was…was at a club when my wife was killed. You can find that out."

"I will." Don said.

"Tell your wife she is reckless, but I am sorry."

"I will do so." Don said at the door.

NUMB3RS

David and Colby went to the strip club that the Prince had named. He was a high roller and had gotten a private room, but he was alibied by six girls and the security for being there well into the night.

Espa was busily reading files when Charlie came to her. She was sitting on a table with her legs folded like a butterfly. He smiled at her. Behind him came Alan with little Zephyr whimpering in her little one piece outfit of blue that he had gotten her.

"Hello, where are the other girls?" Espa asked jumping down. "Hey, piglet." She took her baby and the blanket and let her nurse as Alan sat down near her.

"They went shopping."

"Alone?" Espa gasped.

"No, Don has an agent assigned to them and they are with Susanne." Alan said.

Charlie had ducked out to go talk to Don about running some math to try and find a killer.

"So any luck?" Alan asked her as he watched the movement of his granddaughter under the blanket.

"Well, the husband was not the one to pull the trigger, but he might be involved." Espa sighed.

Megan walked in and smiled as she walked to Espa. "Oh, the little one is here."

Espa smiled and lifted the blanket to the side so Megan could see her. Zephyr dropped her mother's nipple and looked up boldly at Megan looking down at her.

"Oh, come here you." Megan said reaching to take her. "Such a little thing." She cooed and held her with the experience of an aunt of several kids. "My God she looks like Don." She said looking at the baby's face as she stared at Megan's. "Those eyes look into you the same way his do." She said. "Oh and such a cute nose."

"Don't you have work to do?" Don asked from the doorway. His voice was serious, but his eyes were playfully.

Colby stood next to Don and blinked at the scene before him. Don reached to take his daughter, but Megan avoided him. "You get her all the time. It's my time to hold her." She said moving to sit down.

Don looked at his wife who shrugged with a smile. He sighed and shook his head. "What do we have?"

"Well, the husband seems clear." David said. "He made no threats against her."

"But why then did Princess Aisha want Espa and I to be guardians?" Don asked.

"I am not sure." David said.

"I am not either."

There was a knock on the door. An agent stood with Susanne and the two girls. She smiled as Espa came over to her.

"Hey Mouse."

"Hey." Espa smiled and spoke to the girls. They were in new cloths and their hair was styled. She spoke to them. They smiled and looked at her. They giggled and looked at Susanne.

"I have no idea what they said, but they liked their new clothes. They are learning some English. I spoke with them, but they do not understand much." Susanne said.

"Aisha must have been working on them." Espa said.

"Are we on for this afternoon at your home?" Susanne asked.

"Yep." Espa said looking back at her baby being bounced by Megan.

"What are you doing?" Don asked as his wife reclaimed his baby from Megan who pouted a moment.

"We are going back home with Dad to dance. We have joined a dance troupe." Espa said.

"Oh? And when are you going to tell me?" Don asked.

"Dinner?" She smiled.

She, Alan, Susanne, and the girls walked out.

NUMB3RS

Don and his team looked through files. They had to release the Prince. As they escorted him out of the building a man walked to them. Jamil looked surprised. The man led him to a limo and glared at Don.

Don watched them go. "Who do you think that is?"

Megan shrugged. "I am not sure."

They walked back in and Don looked at the files. He lifted one that Espa had given him. "His name is Samir Rashid, mutawwa from Riyadh." He sighed. "He has no reason to be here." He sighed. "Espa told me a mutawwan are the religious police who keep order and like to pick on women for the slightest infractions."

The rest of the team shrugged and took the clue from Don to look into that.

NUMB3RS

Don and his team realized started putting two and two together.

"We know that Miriam was supposed to marry a cousin. What if that cousin found out that her mother was trying to block it." Don sighed.

"So he would try to stop it?"

"What if it was not him? I mean, Espa has told me about these men. They throw acid on women who show their legs. Maybe he had his best friend…That man Rashid, maybe he did it."

The team nodded.

"That is motive and means." Don said. "Go get him."

NUMB3RS

Samir Rashid looked at Colby and Don standing watching him in the interrogation room. The man had not said a word since they had brought him back.

"Did you kill Princess Aisha?" Don asked leaning forward.

"That whore will never go to heaven for her crimes." He said.

"Is that a yes?" Colby asked.

"She was going to keep Miriam away from her husband, a man choosen by God to be her husband. The princess broke with God. There is only one thing to be done with such a creature." Rashid looked up.

"So you killed her and tried to kidnap her children." Don asked

"They belong in God's country." Rashid said.

"You will not even let them near you or Saudi again. They are happy here." Don said.

"So they should be killed as well."

"Touch them and I will…" Don warned, but Colby backed him off. Don walked away from him to the door. "Arrest him for murder. Unlike the prince he can serve his sentence here."

Don walked out and went to the phone. He dialed the phone to call Prince Jamil.

"Agent Eppes." The soft voice said.

"Prince Jamil. We found your wife's killer."

"You did?" He said clearly happy about it. Don had wished to hear about his reaction to the news.

"Yes. His name is Samir Rashid."

"Rashid shot my wife."

"Executed her." Don said.

Don heard his intake of breath. "What are you going to do with my children?"

"I will get back to you, but their mother wanted them here for a reason." Don said.

"Yes." The Prince said. "Give them a good home Agent Eppes." He sighed. "I loved my wife and I loved them." He coughed. "Keep them away from Saudi and men like the religious police who would kill a Princess for trying to protect her children."

"I will do that." Don said. "Peace be upon you."

"And upon you and your wife Agent Eppes." The Prince said and hung up. Don sat and rubbed his face. The turn around cleared the prince in Don's mind.

NUMB3RS

Don and Charlie went home. They looked about for everyone and heard music coming from the backyard. They walked back and stopped stunned.

Espa, Susanne, and the two girls were dancing to a Middle Eastern beat coming from a stereo. Alan was sitting in the shade watching with Zephyr in his arms.

Charlie walked to his father his mouth slightly open. Don followed him.

"Dad…you are staring at my wife." Don said.

"No, I am enjoying the art." Alan said watching the girls move their hips and arms.

"The art?" Don asked watching his brother watching them amazed.

Espa danced over to them wearing a skirt that sat on her hips. She wore a top that hugged her breasts. She smiled at him she pulled him to her. She smiled as she moved against him and he held his hands on her hips as she moved them.

She smiled as she lifted her arms and back to cup his head. She grinned at him. The music ended and the girls with Susanne went to get water. Espa smiled and looked up at her husband. She felt a distinct hardness against the small of her back. She giggled. "I am glad you appreciate me."

"Oh, yes, but if you keep this up I will be putting you on the ground and I will not be responsible for my action." He whispered in her ear. He turned her and kissed her.

"So do you like Don?" Susanne asked coming over. She wore green.

"Yes." Don nodded holding his wife. "It is amazing. I was wondering how Espa was getting back into shape."

"Your wife used to do it in college and high school." Susanne smiled. She looked at the girls. "Espa, I think we are going to go now." She said.

"You are taking the girls?" Don asked.

"Yes. My husband and I talked about it when Espa asked us yesterday. We have been wanting children for years." She took a breath. "We are adopting them." She said.

"Really?" Don asked. "Oh my God that is great." He said looking down at his wife who was smiling. He was relieved.

"We are changing their names to Jennifer and Rebecca." Susanne said as she hugged her new daughters.

Don smiled and looked at his father and baby. He was glad. He was not ready to be a father two teenage girls. He had been charged with Espa to give them a good home. He knew Susanne and her husband would be a good choice. He kissed his wife's cheek and watched them go into the house to change. Two American princesses were now safe. His family was safe. He could not ask for more.


	19. Rampage

**Rampage**

4

Dimensions 

3

Casualties 

2

Stripes 

1

Path

It was a typical day for the FBI office in Los Angeles. Don Eppes team had captured a sex offender. David and Colby had tried everything to get him to crack before Megan came in. Charlie and Don were in the war room dicussing ways of linking the latest victim to the sex offender who liked courting girls online and then raping them.

Everything was in place until gunfire erupted from the bullpen. A bullet missed Charlie's head by a little more than a foot. His brother had thrown him to the floor to keep him out of harms way as his team went and tried to corner the gunman.

David came in behind him and distracted him so he released his human shield. Don, Megan, and Colby fired into the man to take him down.

NUMB3RS

Esperanza Eppes held her baby to her in her sling. Zephyr had been fussy the night before and Don, who was suffering from insomnia, took her downstairs to rock her and feed her gently. It had allowed Espa to sleep, which she needed. Now the baby slept as her mother was coming in to see her husband before she took her to the doctor for her appointment.

The elevator chimed open and she gasped as she heard three gun shots ring out. She was more surprised when an agent grabbed her and held her down against a bullpen wall using his body to guard her as he looked about.

Espa gasped holding her baby close trying to tuck herself up as small as possible. The man looked at her and looked about.

"All right paramedics." Don's voice said. It rose in volume. "Okay, who's hit? Who's down?" Espa knew by the authoritative bark of her husband that something had happened. She had never heard of gunfire an FBI building.

The man holding her gently helped her up. "You okay?" He asked.

"Yes, fine. Where is my husband?"

"Who is your husband?" He asked her.

"Special Agent Eppes."

The man looked about. "He looks like he is in charge. He is standing. Looks like the coast is clear." He nodded to him.

Espa saw Charlie come out of the war room clutching his computer to his chest. She walked forward holding Zephyr close to her. Don walked toward his brother after looking at a wallet.

"Hey, you all right?" He asked. "Did you get hit?"

"Huh?" Charlie asked.

Don pulled the computer away to look at his brother who was stunned. "Let me see." He said.

"No. No!" Charlie protested.

"You sure?" Don asked.

"I'm okay." Charlie said.

Megan walked to Don. "SWAT's mobilizing, the paramedics are on their way, I got two bullet wounds, they're both minor, and some cuts from the glass."

"And that's it?" Don asked looking about at his team.

"No." David said nodding to the interrogation room. "Whoever this guy is, he got who he came for." He nodded to the man on the floor with a bullet hole between his eyes.

Don nodded. He turned and gasped. "Oh, Espa." He whispered. "Are you all right?" He asked. He came to her and looked at her as she looked up at him palely.

"You were shot at. You and Charlie were shot at in the office." She said her voice a whisper.

"Yeah, some crazy guy. You, okay?" He asked looking her over. The little blanket she held started to whimper and he sighed and cupped his daughter's head as he pressed a kiss to his wife's brow. "Come on. Let's go out." He said seeing SWAT come in. "Charlie." He said.

His brother moved and walked before him a little like a zombie. He was very dazed by the events. Espa walked beside her husband as he grabbed his coat and walked with her to the stairs and down them keeping his family close to him. He thanked God Espa and the baby had not been there from the start or been in the line of fire. Not that his younger brother having a bullet that close was much better.

Outside it was raining. Espa stood under a walkway putting Zephyr in her sling and covering her as she rocked softly to calm her baby and her own nerves.

Don stood with her gently caressing her back as he stood close enough to offer his body heat to his wife and child since it was chilly with the cold rain. He watched waiting for the all clear he knew would take sometime to come.

Charlie stood nearby leaning against the wall looking of into space.

When the all clear was given Don left his wife to take charge. He had asked her to stay in the area so he could drive them home. Espa walked to Charlie and gently rocked the baby as she spoke gently to him.

He spoke little, but he hugged his sister-in-law and sighed shakily against her. He focused his attention on the rain. She held him softly as he curled against her holding her and Zephyr close as though to comfort them, but it was clear to anyone who was looking that it was Espa's eyes who were calmer than Charlie's and she was holding him together. She knew this was the child like part to Charlie that Don referred to. Espa had always figured since Charlie was special that he had never had a real childhood. He was doing three figure multiplication at three for God sake.

He curled his head against her shoulder as she caressed his neck feeling the tension there. She looked at the rain as the FBI personal were moving about them. She cooed to him gently. Not that she was having her own issues with her family being shot at, it was she could hide it better, at least until she was home with her husband, alone.

"It's okay, Charlie." She whispered to him as she held him. His warm was curled around Zephyr as though she was using her as a security blanket. The little baby was so little she was sleeping through the mayhem.

Don stood in his jacket looking about directing people. Megan came up to him. "So the shooter's wallet says his name is Alec Schane. He's a realtor from Pasadena. He walked in the door and told them he had information about a museum robbery." She said. "The he met Agent Labella at the elevators, disarmed him and put him in a choke hold."

"How's he do that, how's he…how's he disarm an agent?" Don asked.

"Well, all Labella could say was that he was really fast and really strong. And then Schane used him as a human shield and he let off fifteen rounds." Megan said as they walked over to David.

"And only one fatality?" Don asked

"Yeah, Ryan McCall, the predicate sex offender." Megan nodded.

"SWAT team gave the all-clear to reenter the building, but Evidence Response wants a few hours to check out the bullpen." David said.

"All right." Don said. "Why don't you just grab whatever space you can, start working on the connection between Schane and the…the sex offender?" He said. "Right?" As Megan and David turned to go back in to work Don turned and saw Charlie standing folded into Espa's embrace.

Normally, his brother holding her as he would would have flared his jealousy, but today he knew that a bullet had missed his brother by very little and he needed someone to tell him he was all right.

He walked over toward them.

An agent looked at Espa. "Did you see anything?" He asked her.

"No I was there late. I heard the last three shots and I was pulled down behind a wall." Espa said looking up.

"Do you or the baby need to go to the hospital?" He asked.

"No." She said.

"Did you see anything? Sir?" The man frowned when Charlie did not look at him. His eyes flashed to Espa who shook her head.

"He is a bit rattled. Don Eppes is his brother, he will get a statement out of him in due time." She said.

"All right." He said seeing Don walk over to talk to his family.

"Hey, Charlie. Espa." He said.

Both turned and Charlie straitened from the comforting embrace of his sister-in-law and niece. His eyes were wide still.

"Hey. How you doing? You all right?" Don asked looking from one to the other.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." Charlie said.

Espa looked up and smiled at him a little. "I'm good." She said. "Your daughter slept through it all."

"How is….how is everybody?" Charlie asked.

"Look, all things considered, I'd say we got off lucky." Don said looking about them.

"Lucky." Charlie said. "He nearly killed us all, huh?" He said finally meeting Don's eyes. "I don't see how you get up and deal with this every day."

"Eh, you know, I don't get shot at every day." Don shrugged a laugh to his voice. "Come on, I'll get you some coffee." He looked at his wife. "You should go home and relax." He said gently.

"I gotta go. I got…I should go back to school." Charlie said moving his laptop. "And you should get some work done." He looked at Espa. "I can give you a ride Mouse."

She sighed and touched her head. "No I will give you one." She said. "You are in no condition to drive."

"What? I am perfectly…" Charlie protested.

"Come on." She said patting his shoulder. "You know you can not win in a battle of wills against me, Charlie. You might as well let it go."

Don looked at her as she straitened herself and stared at Charlie daring him to say a word. Finally he nodded and started to walk off.

Don grabbed his wife's arm and turned her back and kissed her. "If anything would have happened to you…or Charlie…or…"

"Shh…" She pressed a finger to his lips. She leaned up and kissed him. "Hush." She said. "Nothing did. Go to work I will talk with you later." She said and moved after Charlie.

Don stared after them. He could easily read his brother. Charlie was spooked. Espa was clear headed and would likely be the only one who could get him to open up about what he was feeling in time. She had a way of getting information out of people which he admired and envied even. He sighed. She would have made a great FBI agent if she had chosen that path. He rubbed his eyes as he walked back into the building. She was the perfect mate and she would keep him sane, even as he was going to therapy for when she had been nearly killed in a car wreck and then nearly shot. As it was he needed to go track down a man who tried to shoot a dozen FBI agents in their own office.

NUMB3RS

David and Colby went to talk to Schane at the hospital. He could not talk, but wrote he needed a lawyer. The two then talked to his wife and daughter. The daughter did not react to McCall's picture and the wife decided to stop talking when she could out her husband had lawyered up.

Charlie went to work and Amita and Larry tried to talk to him, but were stonewalled. He even stonewalled Amita whom he was somewhat dating. He was not dealing with the affair well and everyone, but him could see it.

NUMB3RS

Espa took her daughter home and fed her as she stared at the wall.

"You know you are the one in this family who normally doesn't brood." Alan's voice said behind her.

"I have a lot to think about." She said not turning as she lifted Zephyr from her breast. Alan walked forward and took the little baby to burp her as her mother cleaned herself and straitened her clothing. Alan patted the baby against his shoulder. She burped, as she always did, for her grandfather.

"What is wrong?" Alan asked her as he reached to touch her shoulder as Zephyr snuggled against his shoulder.

She looked at him and shook her head. "Don and Charlie were shot at." She said. "I went to go see Don and there was gunfire."

"Were they hurt?" He asked. "Was anyone hurt?"

"Two minor wounds to their shoulders and some cuts from glass. Everyone was lucky. I think Charlie is taking it hard."

"I am sure." He lifted his granddaughter back and looked at the small face. "I am glad none of you were hurt."

"Me too. I am not sure I could handle Don being shot. Or Charlie."

"Do you think you can talk to Charlie? He can just shut down when something scares him. He listens to you like he used to listen to Margaret."

"Of course. I am a woman."

"More than that. You are somewhere between and mother and sister for him." He smiled and sat down. He moved Zephyr to cradle her in his arms.

She smiled and looked at them. "She is always so calm when she was with you." She smiled.

"I'm her grandfather." He smiled.

She chuckled.

NUMB3RS

The morning started early again at the Eppes home. Espa made breakfast for Charlie and Don. She made Charlie's favorite for him of sausage and eggs with heated canned hash.

She put the plates before the two men and they smiled at her. "You know Don, I really like having your wife around."

"Oh, why is that? Because you are not reduced to eating cereal in the morning?" Don asked as he started into the meal his wife was making.

"Yeah, and she cleans." Charlie smiled as Espa put toast before them. Little Zephyr was in her swing chair in the living room sleeping from when she had had breakfast and hour before.

Espa smiled as she made a plate for herself and sat down to eat herself. "Glad someone is thankful." She said looking at her husband pointedly.

He looked at her. "Hey, I thank you in other ways."

"Whoa…I didn't need to know that." Charlie said looking at the smirking couple.

Espa laughed. Don was eating quickly. He had to get to work, but he never passed up Espa's cooking skills. He stood up licking his fingers. He bent and laid a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Hey I have to run, Espa. Thanks for breakfast, honey. Good as always." She looked up and smiled and he gave her a quick peck on her mouth.

NUMB3RS

Don sent his team to talk to a martial arts instructor about the techniques the moves made by Schane. He was a well respected member of the school. The instructor did mention that a man named Kurt partnered with him and then Schane went cold to him. The large Alec Schane was quick and a brown belt in three years.

The worst fear is that someone will do the same thing only take down more people.

Colby and Megan returned to the office and found David in the war room. Don was out talking to someone official. He returned to his team with bad news. The bullet that killed McCall came from Colby's duty gun when he fired to take Schane down. Don had to take his gun and put him on restricted duty until the Shooting Team looked into it.

NUMB3RS

Don went to see his brother at the school. He found him walking across the quad. They walked to Charlie's office. Espa was there waiting for her brother-in-law to talk. She was surprised to see Don and Larry walking in with him. Don was carrying a rolled up paper and a briefcase. She sighed. She needed to talk to Charlie alone, but she would try when Don left. She could shoo Larry out when Don was out.

"So we're going with the assumption that this Kurt is planning another attack." Don was saying. "Espa. What brings you here?" She just smiled at him.

Charlie sighed. "I know, but, look, this one, I just don't see how my math can help you."

"Well. That's the thing. We gotta make sense of the first one, right?" Don said walking to a table near where Espa was sitting. "We get Schane's motive maybe that'll tell us something about Kurt, right?" He unrolled the rolled paper he had. It was a schematic for the shots fired. Espa and Larry looked at it. "And you remember that work you did with, uh…uh, paths?"

"W…What, combinatorial optimization?" Charlie asked walking to him.

"Mmm-hmm." Don nodded.

"Sure, there's minimum spanning tree, the traveling salesman problem." Larry said.

Espa listened and looked at the drawing.

"Neither of which are applicable to this analysis." Charlie protested.

"Well, how about applying weights to the potential victims?" Larry asked

"Right, like what you did with the threat analysis, but in reverse." Don said. "See if we can figure out who the intended target was."

Espa looked at him. "Are you saying you might be attacked there again?" She asked looking down

"Maybe." Don said. "We don't know yet." He looked at Charlie as he studied the drawing.

"If there was a target at all." Charlie said. He beckoned Larry to him. "Larry, come over here. Tell me, does the shooter's path look Brownian to you?"

Larry walked over. "Markovian, maybe, sure, but Brownian? Let me see. But Brownian, I don't…Wait, wait, wait, wait, I do see this."

Espa and Don looked at each other and then at the two. "See what? What?" Don asked speaking both their minds.

"Picture a pool table, with the cue ball in constant motion. The cue ball, our shooter, is following a straight path until it hits an obstacle, another ball or a boundary, the rail, and then it sets off in a new straight path until it hits another obstacle."

"The table is the office, the ball is the people in it?" Don asked.

"Yeah, a Brownian path would indicate an initially random direction followed by random direction change, which means he wasn't moving toward any particular point." Larry said.

"Or shooting at any particular person." Charlie said. "In fact, inflicting injury might not have even been his intention. If I can examine the diffusion, I may be able to shed light on his motive."

"Well, look we got the war room up and running again. You can look at the security footage. How's that?" Don said.

"I can't…Well, not now. I…" Charlie stammered. "I'm in-between classes in my cognitive emergence work." He said picking up his things.

"Charlie, we're talking about another attack." Don said looking at him.

"I can't…I can't go downtown." Charlie said looking at him.

"But, Charlie…" Don protested.

Don, you're not listening. I'm saying I can work at home and I can work here, but please I can't go to the FBI office." "And…Anything you have, send it to me." Charlie said and left the room.

Espa sighed and shook her head as she dropped into a seat.

"Oh, he doesn't seem good, huh?" Don asked.

"Well, protests to the contrary, yesterday's events seem to have affected his demeanor." Larry said.

"Yeah, well, a bullet misses you by that little, you get a new look inside of your own head." Don said.

Espa looked at him and shook her head. It was clear the man did not understand that this was deeply affecting his brother.

"Look, I understand I just think you need to acknowledge the emotional impact of that." Larry said

"Yeah." Don said. "He'll be okay." He said. He looked at his wife as he rubbed his chin. "Right?" He asked.

She sighed and shook her head.

NUMB3RS

Colby was at the office reviewing the tapes when Don came back to the office. He found out that Schane, though he did not like him, Kurt dropped him off at the office for him to shoot up the office.

The car was stolen from a lot. Facial recognition had nothing and Colby left to put out an APB. Megan and David could see that the shooting was hitting Colby hard.

NUMB3RS

Charlie was in the garage. He had made a scale model for the office. He used his little soldiers to be the agents. Alan joined him and tried to talk to him. Charlie tried to shrug it off, but Alan was insistent. Charlie then talked about the experience.

Alan knew that his daughter-in-law might have more luck and so after some more words of wisdom he left his boy alone.

Megan and David went out that night looking for the car that Kurt had used. After driving for an hour they found the car abandoned and burning.

NUMB3RS

Don returned home. "Hello." He called. He walked in. He looked down and saw his wife on the ground. She was sleeping. Little Zephyr was sleeping on her chest and belly. It was a cute picture.

Alan came in and smiled. "Cute, huh?" He asked softly.

"Yeah." Don said.

"I took a picture. She was exhausted. Her brain needed a rest. She has been dealing with you getting shot at and Charlie dealing with it."

"She told you that?"

"Yeah, unlike you." Alan said folding his arms. "All my living family was shot at."

"Espa and Margot were not shot at."

"But Charlie and you were."

"Yeah." Don said. "But the guy hit a board between us, but we do not think he meant to hurt anyone."

He removed his jacket and dropped to the floor to sit next to his wife and daughter.

"I'll get lunch started." Alan said.

Don nodded. Zephyr stirred a little and squirmed. "Come here, little one." He said softly. He leaned back against the couch and drew up his legs and laid the baby against his legs with her sitting against his abdomen. He smiled as she lay back against his thighs. He watched her amused as she looked at him and gurgled softly. She smiled at him and he gently kept his hands on her to keep her from falling to the side if she slumped. "Hello, my pretty girl." He whispered.

She gurgled at him as he made faces at her. It was times like this that he enjoyed being a father. Her smile melted his heart and he knew she would have him wrapped about his finger with a smile or her tears.

Espa reached and felt that the baby was longer on her. She sat up quickly with a gasp. Don reached over and touched her back. "Easy, I have her." He said gently. He rubbed her back gently as she moved and moved to sit with him. He looked back at the baby as she snuggled down into her father's lap.

Don wrapped his arm about his wife and drew her to his side gently. "How are you holding up?" He asked.

"Me? How are you?" She asked.

"Fine."

"Liar." She said.

He looked down. "Hey what do you want from me? I work things out in my own way. You know that." He said looking at his daughter.

"Yes, I do, but you were starting to talk to me."

"You know, if you want to comfort someone go talk to Charlie. He is the one who is weirded out."

"I wanted to talk to my husband."

He sighed. "Why? I would come to you. You know that."

"Yes, what makes you think this about you?" She asked him as she drew away from him. "I wanted to talk to you. I am freaked Don."

Don looked at her. "You? You are always so…"

She stood up and lifted the baby from him. "What calm?" She asked. "You were nearly shot and Charlie too."

"It's part of the job Espa."

"Yeah, but not at your office." She looked at him. "Don…I can accept you being out in the field, but you were nearly shot in the head at your office." She said spreading her hand.

He sighed. "Espa…"

"If you do not understand my worry for you maybe you should get shot." She hissed at him. "Maybe your daughter should have been there. Then how would you feel?" Her voice was rising and the baby was whimpering.

"Espa I worry for you and her, how my job will affect you."

"Do you? Then why are you not worried now when I am freaked out." She hissed. She swallowed and tried to rein in her emotions. "I was there. I heard the shots."

"Honey, that was me shooting back at the man." He said looking at her trying to calm her.

"I mean with the amount you are worth I could put your daughter through college and not work a day for it." She said

"What? Sweetheart? What the hell does…"

"I could just do it. Maybe it would save us both the…"

"You can't be serious. I mean, you are many things, but not a killer. I mean, I love you and you love me and…"

"Yes I love you. No, but when you pull your head out of your ass and realize what this means to me and our daughter, then come and find me." She said. Zephyr was crying now feeling her mother's anger.

Don reached for her, but she walked passed him shooting him a look. She went upstairs with the baby sobbing in her arms. Don went after her, but paused at the bottom and sighed leaning against the wall.

His father came in and looked at him. "Doth my ears deceive me?" He asked. "You and your wife had a fight?"

"I think she is very upset. I didn't realize it."

"Why do you say that?"

"She threatened me and told me I was worth more dead than alive." Don cocked his head. "I mean, she has a temper, boy do I know it, but that is not a thing she would say let alone follow through even with her weapons." He shook his head. "I was so busy dealing with my brother nearly being hit and me being hit I forgot her feelings." He took a breath hearing the baby still crying softly.

NUMB3RS

Don walked into the office. He had had a night of his wife curled away from him. She had been very made, but he needed to concentrate on the case.

First thing he was pulled aside by a man from the Shooting Team. Colby was cleared, but he would be getting back from restricted duty soon. Colby met him at the elevator. They had nothing from car.

Don told him he was good and would soon be back to normal duty. Colby was clearly disturbed by the fact he shot the man. IT was not his fault, but it was his bullet.

NUMB3RS

Amita came to the Eppes home. Espa had been sitting with him as he looked at the model he made. Espa was quiet, allowing her brother-in-law to think. They had talked a bit before and something was clearly not sitting right with him now.

Alan brought them a tray of tea. Little Zephyr was in her baby Bjorn strapped to his chest. She was sleeping soundly against his chest, her tiny feet and les hanging out from the bottom.

They spoke and Charlie realized he had to go back to the office. Amita and Espa agreed to go with him for moral support.

NUMB3RS

Charlie, Amita, and Espa walked into the FBI office. Espa had her hand on her brother-in-law as he looked about. Her free hand reached up and touched his curly hair. "Are you all right?" She asked leaning against him.

"Yeah." He nodded,

"Hey, guys." Don said walking toward them with coffee in one hand and a file in the other. "How we doing?" He asked.

Espa dropped her hand away from Charlie and looked at her husband. She smiled at her husband civilly.

"Hey." Amita said. "Charlie?"

Charlie turned and looked at the whiteboard. He walked to it and touched the hole where the bullet had gone in that narrowly missed him.

Don turned. "Oh, yeah, they must have brought this out here. We'll get you another one, all right?"

Espa went to stand between her husband and Amita watching Charlie. Suddenly he took a marker and started to erase and then write on the board. Don looked back at Espa and Amita who shrugged and shook their heads.

"We're gonna need the surveillance footage, some tripods, a laser pointer, and we're gonna need string." Charlie said turning toward them.

"String?" Don asked raising his eyebrows.

"Lots of string." Charlie said.

Espa blinked and then watched her husband swing into action. He shooed everyone out of the office and sent people to fetch what his brother needed. He stood back and watched as Espa, Amita, and Charlie used the tapes to plot the paths of the bullets.

Blue was Don. Yellow was Colby. Red was for Schane's bullets.

The Amita used her computer skills to make a four-dimensional modeling schematic.

Espa got a call from Alan to go home because little Zephyr had a small fever and she was fussy. Espa went home after explaining to her husband why she went before Charlie and Amita. He kissed her cheek and wished his daughter well.

NUMB3RS

Amita and Charlie then went over the flaws in the data they collected. A set of desks made Schane turn around and walk away. Charlie found it was one or both of two men hiding there.

Don ordered them looked for. Colby found their names as John DeVries and Dave Taggart. They both are intelligence assistants. They found DeVries easily and were working on his computer, but they were having problems finding Taggart who called in.

Don sent David and Megan to find him. He was found packing and hiding under his car because he saw them hiding.

Evening was coming on. Colby looked into Taggart. He got 80,000 dollars for something. He was using the databases to look up Schane's family.

They found a data thief about Victor Meuller. He's an arm's dealer who is being on trial. Taggart was looking up stuff on Victor and using his ties to look up the families to intimidate.

Colby and David interviewed Taggart and found that he was worried that Kurt was going to kill him if he did not do what was said. Kurt threatened everyone to help Victor Meuller.

Interpol came back with Kurt's real name. It is actually Kurt. Kurt Delock. He was in the South African army and wanted in six countries. The trial was found to have a key witness who is testifying in closed court. His name was Matt Pribitech.

Don sent David and Megan to go pick up Pribitech from the airport. They found him and found out that Pribitech's family had been taken.

NUMB3RS

Espa was sitting on the porch reading with the baby monitor near her. She looked up seeing her husband walking up. He smiled a little and sat down beside her. She stiffened a little looking at him. She shifted the CD player on her lap.

"Anything new?" She asked her voice tight as she pulled out the one earpiece she had in. He realized he could hear her hard rock music she was listening to. It was Rammstein and she only listened to that when she was angry.

"No, not really." He sighed and dropped his head to his hands as his elbows rested on his knees. "But I was hoping we could talk." He reached and pushed stop as the song "Moscau" ended.

"Oh, now you want to talk." She said setting her book down to fix him with a hostile stare.

"Honey, I am sorry." He spread his hands. He gently reached over to touch her cheek. He looked at her. "I was too busy dealing with my own feelings I forgot yours." He reached his other hand to cup her face. "I…"

She sighed. "I know Don. I am sorry. I should know you by now." She said. "I should have known you would talk to me." She rubbed her face. "I know I threatened you." She threw up her hands together. "Arrest me." She said.

"What?" He looked at her.

"I threatened the life of a federal agent. That is a crime that should have jail time."

"Espa. I know you were upset." He pushed her hands down. "I know you didn't mean it. I mean I know you could, but I also know you love me and you love your daughter."

"Still." She pushed her hands back up.

"Espa." He shook his head. He finally grabbed her wrists and pulled her onto his lap as she knelt to the side of his legs. His hands went to her bottom and cupped it as his other hand held her wrists. "Honey, talk to me."

"You can't interrogate me like this agent." She said her eyes now playful as she felt his hand sneaking along the small of her back to her bottom.

He pushed her against his midsection and smiled at her. "No, but your husband wants to love you and talk to you about your feelings."

"I am just worried. The man hit you at your work Don. I mean the one place I thought was totally safe." She said and shook her head. She moved her hands to his shoulders.

His hand moved into the band of her pants and caressed her skin gently. "I know. You are a good wife. It is just so new to have someone to talk to about my life." His hand moved up under her shirt caressing her.

"Were you scared?" She asked. "I was." She said.

"Yes. I was scared for my brother and then more so when I found out you were there." He looked up at her. "When I saw you my heart went into my throat." His fingers grazed over her bra strap and up to her shoulders. He leaned up and kissed her softly and deepened the kiss as his free hand pulled her closer.

She could feel the bulge in his pants against her hips. "Don, we can't here." She said his hands dropping to her bottom to hold her against his body. "Not here, the neighbors, Dad, Charlie…" His lips silenced her as he caressed her tongue with his own.

He leaned against her head and kissed her neck. "I could take you up to…"

A cough made them turn to look over at Charlie and Larry. Larry was blushing and Charlie had a smile on his face as he looked at his brother holding the bottom of his wife to him kissing her and trying to seduce her on the front porch. Espa flushed and dropped her head against her husband's shoulder as she giggled nervously about being caught. His hand moved up to her head as he grinned at his brother.

A soft whimper on the monitor made Espa sit up on Don's thighs and listen. She smiled patting his shoulder. "I have to go feed your daughter." She said.

"I'll come too." He said as she stood up and he took her hand and followed her up the stairs to the bedroom where the baby was starting to cry.

NUMB3RS

Don lay on his side gently playing with his wife's hair. She lay on her side tucked up into his body. They made love for an hour, gently tenderly, speaking until words were no longer needed. He had finally worked through her feelings. It was the first time he had seen her feelings and he loved her for being able to talk about his own feelings. He was not used to it, but it was a good feeling to be so loved. A woman cared for him and gave a damn about him. It still took some getting used to, but he found he liked the feeling. He liked more having a woman to talk to and make love to. It was his way to distress.

He bent and kissed her shoulder. He sighed and looked at the cradle and then back at his wife. He looked at the clock. It was six AM.

He sighed and rolled his wife to the side and under him. He smiled and as she sighed gently in sleep. He moved under the sheet nipping and kissing his way down to between her legs.

Espa gasped as she woke. She heard the soft noises of her husband moving below the sheet and the intense pleasure he was bringing her. She stretched and smiled as she lowered her hand to his head. She smiled and then let herself go as she climbed to a plateau and then she climaxed.

She smiled as her husband climbed up over her body. He kissed her and smiled at her as the playfully kissed her mouth, cheek, and chin. "I love you." He whispered to her as he thrust himself into her.

After they both came down from her second climax and his first for the day. He smiled as he drew himself off her. She sat up and kissed him. "I know. I love you too. I just worry."

"I know." He said as he moved and started to dress for the day. She watched him. The baby started to whimper. Don had his shirt on, but not buttoned yet. He went and picked her up in his arms. "Oh, it's okay Margot." He said softly told her.

"Give her here. She wants breakfast." She said.

He chuckled and gave the baby to her mother. He watched her. "I do too." He said looking at them as he watched his daughter nurse from his wife.

"You all ready had yours." She said looking up at him. "You are a hungry little piglet." She said.

He laughed as he buttoned his shirt. "Yes at one of daddy's favorite places." He said as he moved to tuck in his shirt into his pants. "Hey." He said as she threw his pillow at him as she held the baby against her naked upper torso. His phone rang. "Eppes." He said flipping open his phone. He listened a moment before snapping the phone shut.

He listened for a moment to his wife humming to his daughter. The baby was watching Espa as she lifted her baby's hand to her lips and kissed it. He came to her and kissed her and then kissed Zephyr's head. "I have to go." He said.

"Bye." Espa said.

NUMB3RS

Megan and David went to talk to Schane who tells them that Kurt threatened him. He gives up a trailer where Kurt could be hiding the family.

Pribitech was called by Kurt to come and get his family. He gave him directions to the trailer.

Don and the crew went out to go find the kidnapped family. They find the trailer. They also find there is a large bomb under it.

Charlie was able to work out about where Kurt was. Don went after him and Megan with David went in to rescue the family. Once safe Don was able to arrest Kurt before he could blow the bomb.

NUMB3RS

Back at the building parking lot David and Colby talked about his life in Afghanistan. He saw a lot and he remembers an action that had gotten two British men shot by the Americans before they were able to stop the ambush.

NUMB3RS

"Hey, where the hell did Evidence Response put the sugar?" Charlie asked Don as he searched the shelves of break room.

"I don't know." Don said sitting with his legs on a chair.

"Some week?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah. I mean, I'm…I'm cool until everything quiets down. Then it's like my head is a bad neighborhood to be in." Don said. "At least until I can talk to my wife." He sighed.

"Hey. Do you know that if you bend a piece of spaghetti, it will always break into three or many pieces?" Charlie asked as he lifted a box and walked back to his brother.

"No, Charlie, I can't say I do." Don said.

"Richard Feynman and Danny Hillis spent an entire night bending spaghetti. Took them twenty years to figure out why you cannot break spaghetti in half." Charlie said sitting down.

"And why is that?"

"Fragmentation theory." Charlie said breaking a piece. "Math stuff."

"What's your point?" Don asked cocking his head.

"Not every story has a point." Charlie said passing him a piece. "Sometime, you, uh…You just bend spaghetti to watch it break."

"Oh, yeah, look at that." Don said breaking a piece with his brother.

"Right?" Charlie said smiling.

"Hi Alan." Megan said looking up from her desk. "Espa. Oh you brought me the baby." She said clapping her hands and reached for the baby under the blanket on Espa's shoulder. She pulled on her suit jacket and smiled as she held her hands out.

"Looks like the office is almost back to normal." Alan said.

"Nearly, yes." Megan said

Espa smiled and handed her baby to the other woman who wanted to see her. The baby gurgled and looked at Megan as she rocked her. "She always likes you." Espa said.

"Well she is so much fun. She looks so much like her Daddy only cuter because she is smaller and a baby." Megan cooed. "Yes you do…you are so precious…"

"Where is her Daddy anyway?" Espa asked looking about the bull pen.

"In the break room." Megan nodded. "What are you two doing here? Were you looking for Don or Charlie?"

Alan and Espa looked at the talking softly. "Well, we were thinking about seeing what you were doing for dinner." Alan said.

"I was just thinking about some leftover dim sum in my refrigerator." Megan said as she rocked the baby.

"Oh? I think we can do better than that." Alan said.

"Shall we get the boys?" Megan asked looking toward the break room. Don and Charlie were breaking spaghetti in the break room and talking about it.

"Nah. Come on." Alan said to the two women.

Megan smiled and picked up her purse as she moved to take Alan's arm. Espa was chuckling and already held his other one. Zephyr cooed at Megan as they walked off together to leave Don and Charlie to talk.


	20. Undercurrents

**Undercurrents**

361 U.S. seaports

16 million  
Containers

9  
H5 Subtypes

1  
Mutation

Esperanza, Charlie, and Don Eppes arrived on a crime scene. They had been on the way to pick up Espa's little sister from the airport when Don got a call to go to a crime scene on the beach.

Charlie called Alan to ask him to pick her up. He then called Lupe's new phone number that she had called from Salt Lake to tell them she was boarding and on the way at seven-thirty. "All right, so you're good?" Charlie asked. "All, right, good. Bye."

Espa walked with her husband who wore an FBI windbreaker and a baseball cap. She wore a simple t-shirt and jeans. He wished to keep her near him, but it was too warm to have her stay in the car. He loathed having her look at bodies, but she had done some work in a cadaver lab before she had become a history major when she was a nursing student.

"So, Dad's all right." Charlie said. "He's gonna get Lupe and take her to the house with Zephyr." He said. "He…he…he appreciates that we at least tried to pick her up first." He said.

"All right, well, I'm sorry I had to drag you two out here." Don said. He looked at his wife.

"Oh, believe me, I don't mind." Charlie said.

"Charlie, don't forget this is a crime scene, all right?" Don said.

"Right."

"Don't go touching anything." Don said. He turned to his wife. "Stay up here okay." He said gently. "You don't need to see the four women."

"I have seen a lot of dead people Don." Espa said.

"Yes, but please stay here. I will call you down if I need you." Don said.

"All right."

"Stay out of your way." Charlie nodded as he and Don walked down the bank.

"Hey, guys." Don nodded to David and Colby.

"There are four bodies that washed up on the beach early this morning." David nodded to the bodies that were covered on the sand. "All Asian, all female, no IDs."

Charlie wandered off and looked at the ocean and the surfers.

"Any idea where they're from?" Don asked as he chewed a stick of gun.

"It can't be too far away, otherwise the bodies would have been further apart. Coast Guard called us in. They're calling this a crime on the high seas." Colby said.

"Over there with Megan is a marine science officer." David said. "He's supposed to know something about the local currents out here."

"All right." Don said walking toward Megan and the man.

Charlie looked at the ocean.

Espa watched the people watching around.

"What's Charlie doin'?" David asked Colby watching Charlie.

"No idea." Colby shrugged.

"It was a big storm, but we've had very few distress calls in the past twenty-four hours." The marine expert was telling Megan as Don walked over to them.

"Yeah." Megan nodded. "Hey, this is Special Agent Eppes."

"Hey, how're you doing?" Don asked offering his hand to the man who took it gladly.

"And why is that, you think?" Megan said continuing their conversation as Charlie walked over.

"A storm that big keeps all the small craft in port." The man said. "And we had nothing up near Palos Verdes that explains this." He said looking about.

"Wait. Why there?" Don asked.

"The prevailing current in this area moves down from the north." The man pointed. "If they were in the water less than twenty-four hours, they had to go in off Palos Verdes to end up here."

"What's up?" Don said seeing his brother come over.

"Uh…" Charlie said. "Yeah, but a flow from the north wouldn't be sustaining rip currents in this bay."

"Well, that's true, but, uh…" The man said. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

He…he's all right, he's with us." Don said.

"You see those surfers there?" Charlie said pointing. They all looked. "They're struggling against a significant riptide. So I…I would say that the coastal flow is moving counter to the prevailing currents from the south."

"We do get rips when the southwest swell starts to push against the…" The man started, but Megan interrupted him.

"What is that in the water?" Espa called to them. Don looked at her as she came to them.

Megan pointed. "She's right."

There was another body in the water. Don and the man from the Coast Guard moved past the three and into the surf. They pulled the body toward the shore by her arms. Colby moved and helped them.

Once on dry land Don dropped to his knees and felt for a heartbeat on her neck. The woman was not breathing and was a bluish tint. "Hey, I have a heartbeat here."

"Paramedic!" Colby cried.

Espa stepped to Charlie's side and looked at him and then the girl. The girl looked half dead. She was also Asian/

The paramedics came in and pushed Don out of the way to help the girl.

"Come on, breathe, just breathe." Colby said softly.

Don sighed and watched as he knocked the sand from his pants and looked up at his wife who swallowed and met his gaze as she held Charlie back.

NUMB3RS

Don dropped Espa and Charlie off at Cal-Sci. He then went the office and started to work on finding out who the girls were and why they were there.

The girl who was found alive was still unconscious in the hospital. She was a Jane Doe like the other four.

Don then had a boat, which was for Charlie and Amita to do an experiment. Espa drove home to see her sister and nurse her baby since she had only pumped for a couple of feedings.

David and Colby went to the morgue while Megan went to the hospital. Don stayed at the office working and staring at pictures of the girls trying to understand why they had died.

Megan returned with news that the woman would most likely not make it because of the hypothermia she had suffered from the water. So it was only a matter of time until she died.

Colby and David found from the morgue that all the girls were young except one. She was older and had a tattoo on her foot. It had healed, but it was somewhat like a toe tag.

NUMB3RS

Charlie and Amita sat on the beach waiting for their buoys to come back into shore. They talked and Don was shocked to find out she was considering going and teaching at Harvard. The buoys coming in proved the currents had changed.

NUMB3RS

Megan and David were at the office talking about how the trail had gone cold. Claudia, the ME whom David seemed to like, had come to the office to inform then that she had found that one of the girls had the bird flu in her system. That was news because that could cause a national health crisis.

Don called CDC and a worker came over to discuss the ramifications of having bird flu in America. It was, however, not a crisis yet since only one girl had it and she could not spread it dead. As it was now the disease had not progressed in humans because victims could not cough it up and spread it, but it could change quickly if they were not that careful. Don had the potential for a health crisis on his hands if he was not careful.

NUMB3RS

Don had his brother meet him outside the office. As they walked together outside to Don's car Charlie was explaining what he was thinking. "So here is my theory. The storm caused a sandbar to form at the north end of the bay." He told Don.

"Right." Don said.

"The shift in the bottom features disturbed the tidal flow." Charlie said. "All right, so it's like a car race." He said seeing Don's look. "The flow around the track is even and thus predictable. But let's say there's a crash. The flow is disrupted. The cars have to steer around the wreckage. Now if they don't clear that raceway, the flow is permanently changed." He took a breath. "The parallel isn't exact, but you get the idea."

"All right."

"The currents shifted."

"So where…where's the girls come from?"

"Well, they were dumped in the inbound shipping lanes and these are the approximate coordinates." Charlie said drawing out some maps for his brother.

"All right, well, I mean the Coast Guards are gonna have to do another search."

"Hey, look, if the girl with the flu was on a boat, then there' a high probability she came into close quarters with other people."

"Right." Don said looking at the papers.

"If that virus was able to mutate…"

"I know. It might be spreading big time." Don said as he got into his car. He dialed Megan to fill her in, dialed the Coast Guard to have them search to the south, and then drove to the Eppes family home to catch lunch and to see Lupe.

Colby was sent to Cal-Sci with pictures and papers for Charlie. Larry recognized the tattoo as possible characters from the I Chang, a book of ancient Chinese divination. The tattoo matches numbers in the book.

NUMB3RS

Don jumped lightly out of the car and walked to the door of the family home. He walked in and looked about. "Hello?" He called.

From the dining room walked a young woman holding Zephyr in her arms. Her head was bent down, her face hidden by a thick covering of sandy blonde curly hair, as she cooed to the small baby as she started to fuss. Don stepped forward. The girl looked up at him and smiled. "Don!" She said happily.

Don's mouth dropped open and he stared at the teenager before him. Guadalupe Urriolabetia was blossoming into womanhood. In two months she had grown almost five inches and he noticed she now had a chest under her shirt. She wore hip hugging pants that clung to her. Her midriff was showing and he looked her up and down. Her hair was lighter than he remembered. Her eyes were the same boldness of his own wife. Lord, she was going to be as pretty as her sister in only a short time and he was going to have to be running every boy in Boise against the criminal records file and have Megan profile them before she could date any male until she was forty. He knew what teenage boy would see. He had been a teenager once and a jock. He knew which brain a man thought with at that age when it came to women. Woman hell, she was a girl and would be for another five years.

"Lupe…you've…grown." He said.

"You look the same, but I'm looking at your chest now." She smiled up at him.

He chuckled and sighed hearing his daughter fuss more. He reached and took her from his young sister-in-law. "So Espa tells me you are going to spend most of the summer with us." He said as he rocked his baby girl in his arms. "Where is your mother Margot." He said softly as he laid her on his forearm and rocked her gently as her small head rested in his palm. She whimpered and Don cooed at her. The baby looked at her father

"Margot?" Lupe asked watching him.

"Yeah. That is my nickname for her. Her middle name is Margaret." He smiled.

The kitchen door opened to reveal Espa carrying a tray of sandwiches. She set the tray on the table. "Hey, Don."

"Hello." He smiled at her. "Come, your daughter needs her lunch." He smiled at her.

"Oh, I am sure. She was sleeping. Did she just wake up?" Espa nodded.

"Yes." Lupe nodded.

Espa took the baby and sat down at the table. She lifted her shirt and held the baby close as she nursed. She reached for a sandwich. Zephyr was sucking more noisily than normal, but she had stopped fussing.

Don reached past her for one. He bit into it with a smile. He swallowed his mouthful and sighed. "We have a problem with the case. I have to eat and run, but I had to see Lupe." He smiled at his little sister. "How are you, sister?"

"Good." She giggled as she sat down and started into a sandwich. She ate it in half the time as the adults and reached for another. Don smirked. Ahh, growth spurts of a teenager.

Don finished his sandwich and smiled. "I must go." He leaned against the chair and kissed his wife's cheek. "I love you. I will be home for dinner." He walked over to Lupe. He hugged her against his side. "And you." He cupped her chin and looked down at her. He bent and kissed her cheek. "I will see you later as well and we can talk." He kissed her brow and walked to the door.

NUMB3RS

Don walked back into the office. David was looking at all the Chinese ships in the port. All of them could carry a couple thousand containers per ship. They needed to find a container in that haystack.

Larry and Charlie had worked for hours on the tattooed numbers on the bottom of the woman's foot. Amita walked in with fresh eyes and noticed there were only ten numbers. She drew in some lines seeing a phone number not a code. Charlie dialed it and got the voicemail of a dead woman who seemed to expect she might die. Her name was Susan Lim, and she worked for a newspaper.

NUMB3RS

Megan went to talk to the men at the newspaper that the voicemail had said. He recognized the woman in the picture as Susan Lim, his co-worker. She was working on a book on the Asian sex trade into the US in America. That only added to the concern of Don's team.

Susan Lim was able to board a container with twenty other women to come over to the US. It was a place to start.

NUMB3RS

Alan walked into the dining room. Lupe was watching TV in the front room. Charlie was sitting at the table staring into his coffee cup. Espa had made coffee and muffins for them all. She was now upstairs in her bedroom resting while her infant slept.

Alan poured a cup of coffee. "Who is she?" He asked his younger son.

"Who's who?" Charlie asked looking up.

"Charlie, whenever you look like this, it's always a problem with a girl."

"Look like what?"

"Michelle Robinson, remember her?"

"Seventh grade?"

"Yeah. When she wouldn't go with you to the dance at school? You looked just this for a week." Alan smiled.

"Amita got offered a job. A great job. But it's back East."

Alan sat down beside him. "Amita, huh? I thought you two weren't um…"

"We weren't. But lately…"

"Oh I see. So you decided not to try so hard, huh?"

"I guess that's part of it. It just felt like things were finally starting to happen."

"So, she might get a job back East, huh?"

"Well, she hasn't decided, but it's Harvard. How can she pass that up?"

"Mmm." Alan nodded.

Lupe walked in and reached between them to grab a muffin. "What are you so down about?" She asked Charlie. "Hi grandpa."

"Hi sweetheart." He said hugging her affectionately about her midriff.

Charlie looked at her. "I can't be that transparent." He said looking up at her.

She smiled. "Yes you are." She smiled as she took a hug bit from the muffin she held and smirked as she walked back to the TV.

"Well, you know, 'starting to happen' is, um…" Alan said looking at his son as he continued the conversation. That's not really worth fighting for. I think when you focus on your feelings about her, your real ones, that, uh, you'll…You'll know what to do."

Charlie sighed and stared into his cup again.

"Can you pass the milk?" Alan asked after a moment. When Charlie did not move he reached for it and poured it for himself.

NUMB3RS

Colby and David went to the port to check into the Asian boats in port. There are two from China. There were two boats the _Nanking_ and the _Li Po_. The customs officer said he would hold the containers that were not unloaded for them until further notice.

The dock foreman was less than helpful, but he did tell them that they used an algorithm to try and find problem containers. That is good news they can have Charlie work those numbers.

NUMB3RS

Don came home to talk to Charlie. He found his wife writing a letter as his daughter rocked in her swing. Lupe had gone out for a bike ride around the neighborhood to exercise and to relieve some of her boredom of not having Don there.

"Where is Charlie?" Don asked his wife.

She looked up at him. "In the garage, brooding." She said.

"Oh?" He asked.

"Yeah." Alan said coming in. "Yeah. Amita might be moving to teach at Harvard and he is having divide feelings."

"Ahh." Don nodded. "I'll go talk with him."

"Good luck. He did not want to talk to me as of yet." Espa said.

"Well, some things are better spoken among brothers." He smiled and pressed a kiss to her brow as he walked to the back door.

He entered the garage and saw his brother sitting in the couch thinking. "Hey. Dad and Espa just told me."

"Yeah. It stinks. Oh!" Charlie said. "Well, not for Amita, but…"

Don walked in and grabbed a chair. He sat down and leaned forward against the back as he sat backwards on the chair looking at his brother.

"It's a great opportunity for her. I just…" Charlie sighed.

"Well, look, I mean maybe you should just go." Don said.

"What?"

"Well, you know, you get all those, uh, visiting professor offers, right? So go visit."

"Man, we haven't even gone on a halfway decent date. I can hardly go chasing her across the country." Charlie said shaking his head.

Don watched him not really sure how to answer that.

"What's up? What do you need?" Charlie asked.

"That container, it's gone. It's already been unloaded. But the ports say they use some kind of a security algorithm."

"Yeah. Yeah, it analyzes a probability matrix for high-risk or dangerous cargo." Charlie said sitting up. "Ranks containers according to threat potential."

"All right, good, you know about it."

"I was on the team that designed it."

"No way. Oh."

"You want to know if you can use the algorithm, work backwards, to find this container?"

"Yeah. I mean, we have fifteen girls, they're goin' out into the workforce, and…and…" Don stuttered. "I mean, they might have this…this deadly virus, so I don't know what else to do."

"You realize the initial rate of transmission for disease like influenza amongst prostitutes is…"

"Yeah, even I can do that math." Don said rising to his feet. "So let me know what you get, all right? And don't worry, you're gonna be all right. It'll be fine." He said and walked out.

Charlie sighed and went to work.

NUMB3RS

Colby and David went to a bar on the recommendation of the dock foreman. A kid from the _Li Po _was there drinking. When he spotted the two feds and ran. David and Colby caught him and arrested him. They then brought him in be questioned.

NUMB3RS

Don waited for a translator to talk to the cabin boy. It was about seven Espa walked into the office. Don caught sight of her. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"You said you were going to be home for dinner. We missed you." She said.

"Sorry. I got stuck waiting for a translator for this Chinese kid we caught and…"

"Well, she is here." She shrugged.

"What?" He asked looking at her. "You are the Arabic consultant."

"Yes, but I speak several languages and the Bureau apparently likes to just call as few people as they need to."

He smiled a little. "All right. Follow me."

He walked into the room where the boy was sitting. Espa walked in. She spoke apparently introducing herself as the boy looked up. Don sat down.

"You work on the _Li Po_?" Don asked. His wife translated.

The boy spoke and Espa looked at Don speaking for him. "In the kitchen. Since I left Malina." She said.

Don noticed his wife could speak fluently with the conversation and translate both ways as the two spoke. "Well, I just spoke to the hospital, and that last girl didn't make it. So I'm lookin' at you for five murders."

Espa's eyes rose as the boy spoke. She looked at her husband. "That is not Mandarin. It's Cebuano." She said. She barked at the boy who looked at her. He looked at Don and spoke again.

"I don't understand what you're…" Don said. "You need to speak through her." He said.

Espa sighed and spoke.

The boy looked at her and then looked back at Don. "I…I didn't hurt them." He said in English.

"It doesn't matter. You were there." Don said not taking note that it has not been Espa to speak to him.

Espa blinked. "You speak English?"

"A little." The boy said. "Good you here. No speak well."

She sat back to listen and help as needed.

"You want to tell me want happened? Maybe I can help you." Don said

The boy looked at Espa and then Don. He spoke and Don looked at Espa. She sighed. "One girl, she was sick. The captain called the people who pay him to bring the girls."

The boy looked at Don. "They say kill sick one." He said in English.

"Who did he call?" Don asked. "You know who he called?"

The boy shook his head violently. He looked at Espa. She spoke.

Don continued as Espa translated for him. "The other girls that went overboard, they were sick, too?"

"Five on the ship together." The boy said in English. He looked at Espa and spoke. Espa took a breath and looked at Don who cocked his head at her.

"Something like farm girls." She said cocking her head unsure.

"Farm girls? Right." Don said.

"They…we throw away. Then we wait. See if any else get sick." The boy said in English.

"You'd throw them away?" Don asked disgusted.

The boy spoke looking at Don. Espa listened and then spoke for him. "The captain says he lose too much money if he kills them all." She looked at her husband. He could see she was disgusted as well.

"And where are they now?" Don asked after a pause as looking at him.

"Another box." The boy said looking at Espa. "I…In a box." He said in English

"The container?" Don asked.

"Yes." The boy nodded.

"And where is that?" Don asked looking from his wife to the kid.

"It…it…" The boy looked at Espa and spoke.

She sighed and swallowed. Don met her gaze. Her eyes held worry at the boy's answer. "He said it's gone." She said.

Don took a breath and looked at his wife. He nodded at his wife. She took the hint and rose to her feet and walked to the door. Don followed her out.

"Do you think he is lying?" He asked as he moved to lean against the far wall.

"No, I don't." She said. "What is with the girls?"

He sighed and looked at her his hands on his hips as he debated whether or not to tell her. He looked at her. "One of the girls had bird flu. I am worried about a pandemic." He admitted.

She gazed at him. "Oh is that all?"

"Espa, you can't tell any one. We do not need a panic."

"I know." She looked up at him. She sighed. "Can you come home now?" She asked him.

"I need to…"

"Please." She said. "Lupe wants to talk and so do I."

He swallowed and nodded. "Let me set things right here and then…"

She pulled him into a kiss and he held her close a moment before pulling himself away to finish up for the night and see the prisoner secure.

NUMB3RS

Charlie and Amita worked on the equation at Cal-Sci. They talked about their relationship and Amita eventually left him after a bit of a spat.

NUMB3RS

Don took Espa, Zephyr, and Lupe to the beach as the sun was setting. Espa was in a sarong and loose shirt. Her sister was dressed very much the same way. Don held his daughter in his arms.

"Hey, I am going to play in the surf." Lupe said.

"Sure." Espa said.

"Just be careful." Don said. Espa spread a large towel. Don sat down and let Zephyr lay on the towel a moment as he removed his shoes. He looked up as Lupe untied her sarong and removed her shirt. She untied her hair from its tie and shook it loose.

Don blinked. She was in a blue bikini. Since when did thirteen year olds start wearing bikinis? He walked her run down and into the surf. He picked up his daughter and laid her on his legs.

She laughed as she splashed about. Espa smiled.

"When did she grow up?" Don asked as he saw several men looking at her as she started to play with another girl a little older than she was.

"They do, do that Don." Espa said.

He looked down at his daughter who lay on his lap. "She is just a teenager." He told her. He washed her dive under and then come up and toss her wet hair back. Water dipped down her body. It was like watching the newest member of Baywatch. He blinked and looked at his wife. "I do not like the looks she is getting."

"Oh?" Espa asked looking at him.

"Hey, there are a lot of bastards in the world just looking for sex." He said.

"And you would not know any of those would you?"

"If any man dares to…" He looked down. "Dares to get either her or Margot in bed before they are forty, I will hunt them down and…"

"Don. Enjoy the sunset." She said patting his shin. "It is beautiful."

"Mmm." He reached over and pulled her next to him and watched her. He kissed his wife's brow even as he looked from Lupe to ever male looking remotely at her. He was once a male with one thing on his mind in his off duty hours. He was not about to let any other male think that about his baby sister Lupe or his baby girl.

NUMB3RS

Morning brought a new body. The Captain of the _Li Po_ was found dead in the water.

Megan went to talk to Charlie about what he found. Charlie had tweaked his math. He found a list of containers that may have contained the girls.

Don and the team met in the war room to talk about the team findings. Nipay, the young boy called a man named Jintao who owned a club and three massage parlors. So the man got the parents to pay the freight for the girls to come over for a better life and did not realize that Jintao would use them. He would promise the moon and pimp them out. The really twisted version of the American dream.

Don then sent the team to go pick up Jintao at the club. It took well into the evening to get a warrant for Jintao's arrest and the search of his club.

Colby and David went in the front while Megan covered the back. Jintao ran for it, but was caught by a gun to the face by Megan. He was arrested and brought in for Don to question.

NUMB3RS

After loosing his paperwork for a day Megan, Don, and Colby had a war meeting in the listening room for the interrogation rooms. Don was like a angry pacing cat. He went in and interviewed the very uncooperative Jintao.

Don pulled him up from his seat and threw him against the wall yelling at him. Then he threw him into the chair and stood over him with his hands about his throat. Colby ran in and pulled him off Jintao.

"Don! Don!" Colby cried.

Espa was walking in the office looking for her husband. She saw Colby holding him back. She gasped.

"Take a break, okay?" Colby told Don. "Just calm down, all right?"

"Let him call his lawyer, and then throw him in that hole." Don hissed and then walked out with a glare in Jintao's direction.

Espa was waiting. "Don…Donnie. What is wrong? Why did you…?"

"Espa." He said. He was breathing hard. He stared at her a moment before he drew her to him and hugged her. She hugged him. Her hand went to his neck. His jaw and neck er tense and hard with tension. He was quivering a little with suppressed rage.

"Donnie. What is it?"

"These girls, the sex trade, the man doesn't care he is exploiting girls, and…Lupe." He said.

She pulled back and lifted a hand to his face. His brown eyes were angry, but she knew it was not at her. She looked at him in concern. "What about Lupe?"

"She's just a kid and men look at her now like she is an entrée at a buffet. She is beautiful and growing more so…The girls are sent here for sex. What if Lupe was so abused?" Don asked.

Espa looked at him. "Don…"

He hugged her and she felt his body calm a little as his breathing did. He cupped the back of her head. "I love you, but this isn't over." He said taking a breath. "I need to go find Charlie. I need to find those girls. Just like you and Charlie needed to find that man who was attacking that one girl…Libby. You understand my need to stop the flu and the exploitation…"

She nodded. "Yes I know." She sighed. "I'll drive." She said.

He eyed her a moment and then nodded.

NUMB3RS

"Stop it." Larry said.

"What?" Charlie asked looking at his computer.

"Okay, maybe we should take a break, huh?"

"I'm all right, I'm just a little distracted at the moment." Charlie said.

"Yeah? What, Amita?" Larry asked sitting down.

"How'd you know?"

"The look. I know all your looks."

"Have you been conferring with my father?"

"No."

Espa and Don walked into Charlie's office. "Hey, Charlie. Look, we're in trouble here." Don said. "I mean, I…I can't get anything out of this guy Jintao. He rubbed his fingers through his hair.

"Those girls are still out there, not to mention the threat of pandemic flu." Larry said.

"We've been working on a destination probability matrix using Susan Lim's notes, your list of Jintao's businesses…"

"Yeah, well, that's why I'm here. What do you got?" Don asked.

Espa grabbed a seat. She could tell her husband was on edge.

"Something's not right in the data or there's a bug somewhere in this matrix because my equation keeps returning an empty set." Charlie said

Don sat up and sighed. He looked at Espa.

"Now, wait a second. H…hold on here." Larry said. "What if, Charles, what if the matrix equation is working?"

"What if? Then we'd have an answer." Charlie said.

"Yeah, but what if the empty set is the answer." Larry said.

Don looked up. "They never left the port."

"The algorithm wasn't pointing to a destination, because the girls never left their starting point." Charlie said.

Don sprang up and got out his phone. Espa looked from Charlie to Larry and then jumped up to followed her husband and ride out the door.

NUMB3RS

Megan and David were working on trying to match a business to a warehouse being rented out in the area. Finally after twelve tries they matched Wai Gong Imports to a newly rented spot at the docks.

David, Colby, and a SWAT crew went to the warehouse. Espa went with them, but was told to hang back with the medics until Colby gave the all clear. Don was not thrilled she was going, but he knew she would be needed to translate for the women if they found them. He made it clear that all medical personal and her had to wear face masks if they went in and were in close contact with them.

Colby busted open the door with a fire extinguisher. He opened it and the team moved in.

"You guys, cover the warehouse!" David called.

The fifteen girls looked at them from a large cage. They all looked pitiful and starved.

"We got to get them out of there." The head of the customs group said looking about.

"We can't, not yet." Colby said putting up his gun. "Although, we need to get the medics and the translator in here now!" He barked. "Ladies, just give us a minute, okay."

The medics and Espa came in at a run. Espa started to talk and the girls began to chatter at once. They quickly found the door and broke the lock.

"So your guy Jintao used this warehouse for quarantine?" The customs official asked once Espa had calmed the chatter enough to be heard. She stayed on the outside near the fence with David and Colby.

"Till he decides to cut his losses, yeah." David said.

"He just left these ladies here to die."

"They have not had food for two days and they were running out of water." Espa said as one girl spoke softly to her through the fence.

Colby shook his head in disgust.

NUMB3RS

Espa returned home to find Don, Alan, and Lupe playing gin. Lupe was not really playing, but she was watching with interest. Zephyr was sleeping in her swing as normal. It was a good place for her to sleep when not in her crib.

Espa sighed and rubbed her head before she plopped on the floor beside her husband. He smiled and caressed her neck. "Thanks for going out there." He said.

"No problem. I think I helped them." She said.

"I am sure you did." Don said. He took a drink from his beer.

Espa reached up and he gave her his beer to drink a sip from as his dad put down some cards.

Don took back his beer and took another swallow before setting it down. Lupe sat forward eyeing the bottle. She took it knowing there was only a swallow and a half left. She drank it down without even flinching.

Don looked at her as she stood up. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" He asked shocked and a little angry she had both touched his beer and she drank it.

"Getting you another. It was warm anyway and you should have a cold one." She shrugged moving to go to the kitchen.

His hand shot out and caught her wrist. "How much alcohol have you have in your life?"

"Why?" She asked looking at him.

"It is illegal for you to be drinking it and clearly you have been by the fact you did not flinch at the taste. That was not your first taste." He said.

Lupe looked at him her eyes half way between playful and defiant. "And who is asking me? My brother or the agent who lives here?"

"Both." He said.

She shook her head and wiggled her wrist free. She then walked to kitchen and in moments came back with an unopened bottle and a church key. She smiled at him as he watched her. She tapped the bottle a little and then opened it with ease before dropping back down on the chair. She set his beer down. "There you are."

Don just stared at her not sure how to take the fact she could open and drink a beer. He looked to Espa who had a half amused look on her face. She held up her hands. "Don't look at me. I have been drinking beer and wine since I was nine." She said.

Don blinked. That explained his wife's ability to drink him under the table, but he had issues with a young teenager who could drink. He was not going to allow it here, even if it was just a swallow.

"You move Donnie." Alan said.

Don looked back at his cards and made his move. He looked steadily at Lupe. "Touch this beer and I will arrest you." He warned.

Alan took only a moment before he set down a card.

"Oh, that's it, that's gin, kid." Don smirked.

"Again?" Alan asked dumbfounded.

"Yep." Don said lying out his cards on the table.

"How the hell do you get so lucky?"

"So you owe me a hundred and twenty bucks." Don said looking at his tally sheet.

"What?"

"Unless of course you want to go again." Don taunted.

Espa and Lupe smirked.

"I'm taking you down." Alan said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"And I'm dealing."

"No, it's my deal."

"No, no, you cheat."

"I cheat? Listen to this guy." Don said looking up at his brother moving to the front door.

"Give me…" Alan said collecting the cards.

"Deal me in grandpa." Lupe said.

"Hey, Charlie, would you figure the odds of your brother winning eleven games in a row if he is not cheating?" Alan asked

"What do you mean? He's the one who taught me how to count cards." Don said as Alan started to deal. Espa hugged her husband's leg watching.

"Was that Amita, Charlie?" Espa asked looking behind her husband's back.

"Yeah. She just left." Charlie said

"Oh, yeah? So you movin' back East?" Don asked him.

"No. No. I'm…I'm not moving to Massachusetts." Charlie said.

"Ah, come on. Bruins games, pal. Season tickets." Don said.

Espa eyed Charlie as she rubbed Don's leg.

"What about Amita?" Alan asked.

"I'm not sure." Charlie said opening the door.

"You all right?" Don asked concern flashing in his eyes.

"I'm not sure of that either." Charlie said.

"Charlie, do you want me to go for a walk with you?" Espa asked.

"No. I need to think alone. I will let you know when I feel like talking." He said and walked out.

Espa looked at her husband and Alan as Lupe organized her cards.

"He's gonna love Beantown." Don said.

Especially in the winter." Alan smiled. "Oh, yeah." He said flipping over the top card on the stack.

"He can't go to Red Sox games though." Don said.

"That's the thing, right. No Red Sox games." Don said nodding.

"No cheating." Alan said eyeing Lupe and Don. Lupe just smiled sweetly at him. Don snorted and shook his head. The baby started to cry and Espa got to her feet to get her. It was a great night for family. Don watched her as she went and picked up Zephyr who fussed until her mother lifted her shirt and started to feed her.


	21. Hot Shot

**Hot Shot**

24

Frames per second 

50

Milligrams 

5

Sleep cycles 

1

Syringe

Charlie was in the car after a baseball game. His dad was driving him home. They stopped off at the grocery store. Alan went in. There was a hold up. Charlie walked in and Alan was shot.

Charlie was in shock. Alan was hurt and no one was fetching an ambulance for him…

Charlie woke and found himself eye to eye with his mother. She had made him pancakes for breakfast. She told him he had a question to ask her.

Confused he rolled over in bed and looked up at his father and Espa looking in at him. She was wrapped in a robe. Her hair was in a loose braid that hung over one shoulder. She smiled at him as his mother had.

"Charlie?" Espa said shaking his arm softly. When he focused on her she smiled. "Come on. Don is downstairs eating. You should join us."

"Charlie, get up." Alan said. "Come on, you said you'd drop me at the metro. I've got to be downtown in forty-five minutes."

"Charlie. I made you breakfast." Espa said rubbing his shoulder gently.

"Let's go, come on, chop-chop." Alan said. "I already ate."

Lupe stuck her head in sleepily. Her hair was in all directions. She rubbed sleep from her eyes. "Hey, Uncle Charlie." She said. She stifled a yawn and walked down to go have breakfast.

Espa watched Charlie roll over gently and look at the window. She caressed his hair softly as she sat in her robe. She drew it more closely about her body. "Come on silly." She kissed his cheek and walked out. "I have coffee ready and I made breakfast burritos with bacon and tomatoes."

NUMB3RS

Don was called to a crime scene in the valley. A girl found in her car with a syringe in her arm and dead in her driveway. Megan, Colby, and David beat him there.

Megan was with the body. Don started having people canvas the area looking for who may have seen her come home. He sent David to look up parking violations in the neighborhood.

Don looked at the well done make-up job and then at the strap with the needle sticking in her arm. She was pretty and it was a shame a young girl had ODed. She was like another girl who died six weeks before and Don found himself with a new case.

NUMB3RS

Charlie and Larry talked about his dream between classes. Charlie was clearly weirded out by the dream and wanted to talk about it, but Espa was busy going to lunch and shopping with Lupe to keep the thirteen year old girl busy.

Charlie had found the curious girl fun to have around. He had brought her even to a class two days before. She had listened and even taken notes. He was pleased that unlike Espa, she should some degree of interest in math.

NUMB3RS

Megan and Colby went to check out the house of the victim. She was neat and tidy, made her bed, and read the Bible, not really someone who did a lot of risk taking. It had to be someone she trusted like an ex-boyfriend. Colby got a call from David who had found the boyfriend who broke up with her three weeks ago.

NUMB3RS

Charlie went to the FBI office. He waited patiently for Don to finish giving his lecture in the war room to the agents he was in charge off to work on the case. It was also the detectives who had handled the original overdose case telling them what little that knew from their case.

"Hey, Don." He said when his brother came out of the room.

"Hey, what's up?" Don asked looking at him.

"Um, I have something I want to talk to you about." Charlie said. "You busy right now?"

"No, I mean, we just got handed this homicide from these locals who think it's connected to a prior murder." Don said heading to his desk.

"Yeah?" Charlie asked following him.

"You wanna take a look?" Don asked passing him the file.

"Yeah, sure." Charlie said looking at it as he started to walk

"What's up?" Don asked his younger brother.

"Um…I had a, uh…I had a dream." Charlie said.

"Oh, yeah? A dream?" Don asked as he moved his mouse to wake his computer up and check email.

"I know it…it sounds…"

"These are our two victims right here." Don said pointing to the crime scene photos of the two women in-situ.

Charlie looked at them. "They're pretty young."

"Yeah, twenty-three, twenty-four. Both found in their cars in their driveways, both OD'd on hot shots of diazepam and morphine." Don said. "The coroner ruled the first girl an accident until the second girl showed up."

"Do we know of any connection between them?" Charlie asked

"Well, I mean, it doesn't seem like they knew each other." Don said looking at the file. "This girl, Lisa Clark, I think she was a salesgirl, and Carla Daniels a real estate broker."

"And somewhere their killer must have come in contact with them." Charlie sighed.

"Yep." Don shrugged.

"Okay, you know, uh, there's something called a direct network flow problem." Charlie said.

"Is this good or bad for me?" Don asked sitting down in his chair and putting his hands behind his head as he looked at his brother after looking at the computer screen.

"Oh, it's…it's…it's good because these women had daily routines. So the repetition of those routines would have narrowed the opportunity for a killer to come into contact with them." Don listened as he sat leaning back. "It's like being in the kitchen. Every day, you're in that room traveling from the table, to the sink, to the fridge, back to the sink, back to the table, and so on. In these routine movements, there are unconscious patterns. Paths you take dictated by convenience or by a specific task. If you were to record these movements, you would see those patterns. So, if you can get me any information about these women's daily lives, then I can analyze their more traveled routes, and find a location where they and their killer were most likely to intersect."

"All right, I'll see what I can do." Don nodded. He dropped his hands down. "So, uh, tell me about your dream."

"Uh, Dad got shot." Charlie swallowed. Don listened and nodded arching an eyebrow. "During a hold-up in a grocery store. It was pretty upsetting."

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Then Mom made pancakes." Charlie said.

Don arched an eyebrow. "Pancakes." Don said

"I don't even dream normal." Charlie said shaking his head.

NUMB3RS

David and Colby went to the ex-boyfriend who claimed he had not talked with her in weeks. He claimed that he and Carla had agreed not to have sex and he ordered the two to leave his office when the questions got to personal for his taste.

The two returned back with their info to share with the team. Megan got the tox screen that revealed that the diazepam was given orally and then they were injected woth morphine. Calm them to kill them.

They had a serial killer. Colby liked the boyfriend because he pulled the phone records that said that the ex-boyfriend was a liar. He talked to her the night she was killed for nearly an hour. That and the salesgirl's work was only a block from his home. He also knew no man agreed not to have sex. David and Don both smirked.

Don sent the three to search the ex-boyfriend's apartment. They started to look at his computer when David found a large closet full of sex toys for S and M play. Colby was impressed and could not resist teasing Megan about it even as she called in a team to come and bag it as evidence.

NUMB3RS

"Esperanza?" A soft voice came into Espa's head as she lay on her and Don's bed resting. She had gotten the baby to sleep and had laid down herself while Lupe went out for a bike ride around the neighborhood.

"Mariah?" Came the gently voice again. Espa opened her eyes and saw a small woman with white hair. It was the face of a woman in her eighties who would never grow older. She was smiling at Espa from the foot of the bed. She was not the only one in the room. A blonde woman who looked a little like Don and Charlie, but with blu eyes and a gentle smile stood next to her.

There was the soft music from the _Flower Waltz_. It always played when Esperanza's grandmother had come to give her a message.

"Grand Mary." Espa said softly. She looked at the other woman. She knew her. There was a vague familiarity about her. "Mrs. Eppes." She said softly.

"Margaret, my dear Espa." The woman said. "I see my son has picked a very good woman for a wife even if he was a fool and got her pregnant before he married her."

"That was not totally his…"

"I know, child." Margaret said. "Don has always liked women and he happened to at least make a good one pregnant. I approve of you, but some of the others…" She walked to the cradle where little Zephyr was sleeping and snoring softly. "Oh, Marie she is beautiful. Did you ever think that you would have a more perfect great-grandchild?"

"No. Zephyr is beautiful." Marie said coming over to her and the grandmother smiled.

Espa sat up. "Are you here only to see your grandbaby? Can you not watch her all the time?"

"Oh we do." Marie smiled.

"You have a question you always wished to ask me." Margaret said.

Espa looked about. "Why is it that Tchaikovsky is always playing? _The Nutcracker Suite_." She said.

"It was the last thing you heard before I died, don't you remember?" Marie asked smiling as she dropped onto the window seat. "But that is a question for me, not for Margaret."

"Have you thought of your question?" Margaret asked gently moving to sit in the lightened window seat with Marie Urriolabetia.

"No, I can not remember right now." Espa frowned.

"Don't worry. It will come soon enough." Margaret said.

"You must wake child. You must be a mother. We will return soon." Marie said to Espa.

"But…" Espa said reaching for them as the light from the window seemed to engulf them.

"Wake, child. Wake Espa…Espa…Espa." Their voices became fainter and fainter as did the notes in her mind.

Espa felt a gently touch on her shoulder. "Espa…Espa…Sweetheart…wake up." Espa opened her eyes. Don was knelt before her. "You all right?" He asked pushing her hair back.

Espa wiped a hand over her face and looked at the clock. It was just a little after noon. She sat up. Don reached to help her as she yawned. She shook her head to clear the sleep from it.

"You, okay?" Don asked again. "I was calling and you did not answer. Then I had to shake you awake. You never sleep so hard." He said gently looking up at her with concern in his dark eyes.

"I was just…just dreaming."

"Oh? So has Charlie about Dad and Mom." He gently watched her. "What did you dream about?"

"Grand Mary and your mother. They were talking very cryptically." She sighed and looked toward the cradle.

"You looked like you have seen a ghost. Talk to me." He said moving to sit by her. He rubbed her arms gently.

"No, just friends." She smiled. She looked at him. "What brings you here this time of day?" She asked.

"I came to see if you wanted to do lunch. You and Lupe."

"She went out for a bike ride and…"

"She is downstairs watching TV. She got back a little before I did." He reached up with the back of his hand. "You feeling okay?" He said feeling her as though he were looking for fever.

"Yeah, why?"

"I have never seen you sleep at this time in the day." He said eyeing her.

"I'm fine. Come on let's get some food. Can you get the little one ready to go?" She asked as she went into the bathroom to splash a little water on her face.

He nodded and lifted the little one out of her crib and put her into her car seat. He lifted it and walked down the stairs as Espa followed him.

NUMB3RS

After lunch with Lupe, Espa, and his infant baby girl, Don returned to the FBI office to interrogate the ex-boyfriend of the second victim. He had the sex toys all laid out in bags before the man. Don could not believe the man did not remember making a nearly hour long phone call to the victim. He admitted to screaming on the phone, but protests his innocence in killing her.

Amita and Charlie talked at the school about his dream and her job offer. They are still a little tense from when she walked out on him because they could not talk. She points out that they should look at commonalities between them at work as well and look into the people who would have known them best.

Megan and Colby talked in the office. The ex-boyfriend had a solid alibi for the night when the first girl was killed. So he is not the guilty party. Megan looked at the pictures more closely and saw that though the makeup was perfect the shoes were on the wrong feet.

She goes to the evidence room with Colby and finds makeup on the inside collar of the shirt. How she was staged to look like a suicide.

NUMB3RS

Don spent the evening with his family enjoying playing cards with Espa and Lupe as Alan tended the little baby as he had her on a blanket on the floor so she could do little pushups and look about. She was the entertainment for everyone as she cooed and looked at them all.

Don found himself enjoying all the time he could with Zephyr and Lupe, since she was living with them for the summer. Lupe was growing into a woman, and she had matured, but he still worried. She, however, startled him with how she could talk to Charlie about math and science. She was getting more learned. He knew the change in her had come when she had had a man murdered next to her and she would never be a child again, but he still wanted what was best for her.

NUMB3RS

Colby met Don and Megan at the elevator. He was confused about why all this effort to dress a dead girl. It's all about an image he is making. He wants people to see in his own mind that he is a nice guy on a date that went wrong.

There were no makes on the bodies which suggested he knew them or he had a weapon he did not use to have them do as he willed.

David came in with news that they had another girl.

Don and the team arrived and found out she did not live at the house he brought her too. Also she was not nearly as dolled up as the other two. That was a target of opportunity and he was going on instinct and he would kill again.

Charlie, Amita, and Larry looked at the woman's office to find any clues. Amita returned the phone messages the victim had to try and figure out how well they knew her. Megan checked on their progress.

There was a change in the victim's routine. She hurt herself out hiking and had been going to Pilates to work on it. She went to see her instructor the day she was killed.

David and Colby went to talk to the woman and found that she had her appointment and then stayed to talk with her next appointment's son while the mother stretched out. The woman's name was Yates.

David looked at his notes and found out a car registered in her name was ticketed in the neighborhood of the victim the night of the murder.

NUMB3RS

Alan was resting in the front room with Espa and Zephyr upstairs and Lupe outside sunbathing.

"You let Charlie by the house, huh?" A gentle voice greeted him.

He looked up from his book and saw his wife standing there. She smiled at his confusion. "Margaret?" He asked.

"Relax. You're just having a dream. I see you restored the shelving."

"Oh, yes. Um…And for the record, I didn't realize Charlie was the one who bought the house from me."

"You really think that's best living in this house?"

"Well, Charlie's a grown man. I have no control over where he decides to live."

"I meant you."

"Oh, uh…Well, it's um…"

"Comfortable? I worry about you not moving on, you know. Taking chances again."

"I'm doing all right."

"The caterer?" She asked playfully.

"It's not serious. Charlie says you told him he has a question he wants to ask you?"

"Yes. So does Espa." She said. "She's a beauty isn't she? She is beautiful, a doctor, and has given us a grandchild." She sighed. "Well, we always knew it was coming."

"We did the best we could with them. Right?"

"They are both very fine men. Donnie found himself the perfect wife who is as smart as he is and Charlie, but in a different way."

"Yeah. Yeah, they are."

She looked down at Gretchen sleeping soundly on his lap. "I thought you hated dogs."

"She grows on you." Alan smiled a little

"You give Don my love. Espa will tell him as well since he does not talk to me in his dreams." She said.

"Yes, always."

"I just want you all to be happy."

Alan looked at her. "Then you shouldn't have died."

She looked at him. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at Lupe who was in shorts and a bikini top. She smiled gently as he looked from her to the blank spot in the middle of the room and back. "Are you all right?" She asked. "I was asking if you wanted some iced tea."

Gretchen lifted her head and sneezed before lying back down against his leg.

"What? Tea? Sure." He said trying to put his thoughts in order.

NUMB3RS

Megan and Don went to talk to Charlotte Yates. Her son's name is Chandler and he is nearly forty. They find out that the mother did some modeling when she was younger. She also had hip replacement surgery and so is on morphine and diazepam, the drugs in the hot shots. She also said that her son had not been given his trust fund money because she did not feel he was ready.

Don and Megan realize that Chandler Yates is their man. He has means and motive and his black Lexus was in the neighborhood the day when the second girl was killed.

Don took his team to the beach house that Mrs. Yates own. They do not find Chandler there, but they do find his small girlfriend. She told him he was surfing and most likely was out at the bar after.

Don clears the house. Colby and David find something in the shed. Don busts the lock to look inside. Inside there are cameras and several hundred photos. It is a mini studio.

They collected the tapes they found and took them back to the office.

NUMB3RS

Back at the office they started watching the tapes. Chandler Yates made movies of him having sex with women while they were out cold and drugged. He is a serial rapist and they have him on that, but the question is finding him.

Don and David after getting disgusted went to John's bar. Most of the clientel are college kids. The barkeeper recognized Chandler's picture and sent them to talk to the waitress Lindsey Fuller.

She protested her friend's innocence even though they had not said what he had done to the girls the claim were complaining about him. She then walks off leaving the two agents stunned.

Meanwhile, Megan and Colby continued to watch the tapes of Chandler raping women on camera. His last victim on tape was his girlfriend that had found at his home.

Megan realized the killing started with the first dead girl which happened only a few days after his mother cut him off from money and his access to the women for him to attack.

The team talks about freezing his assets, but Megan worries he would turn into a spree killer and start killing women without a thought. Don sent Colby and Megan to talk to the mother again, David to get a warrant on her phone, and while he would watch the bar and look up some other things.

Mrs Yates can not believe they try and back her into a corner for the wrong doings of her son. She admits that Chandler had come for money and they had agreed to meet in the park for him to get it from her.

NUMB3RS

That night Megan led a team with David and Colby to watch the drop off of the money. A man in a hooded sweatshirt came and took the money and went for Chandler's car. David and Colby stop Yates before he can get in his car and drive off.

Yates put up his hands and dropped the hood down to reveal it was not Yates at all, but Lindsey Fuller. David and Colby arrest her.

Meanwhile, Don goes to Lindsey Yates home alone following a hunch that she might have something to do with it. He finds a girl tied up to a mattress with duct tape. He calls for backup and goes in to help her.

The victim is alive and afraid. He tried to calm her until Yates comes into the room. Don then searched the home for him.

He walked into a room and bright lights blinded him. A vase shattered over his head knocking the gun from his hands as he dropped to his knees. Don cried out as Yates drove a needle into his neck. Don was able to rip it out and knock Yates away.

Don dropped to the floor already feeling the effects of the drugs on his system as his neck bleed down the back of his shirt and collar. Yates rose up to strike again and Don fired his gun five times into him. He dodged as the body fell next to him. He was able to call for a medic before calling for a medic that he was down.

He felt his mind slipping away and was unconscious.

NUMB3RS

Soft music was playing as Espa opened her eyes. She focused her eyes on Margaret sitting near her holding baby Zephyr. She smiled at Espa. "I'm dreaming again." Espa said softly.

"It is a pity I could never hold her for real." Margaret said looking at her granddaughter as a response.

"It is more a pity she will never know you. You know, Don calls her Margot."

"Yes. You did me a great honor calling her after me. I thank you." She smiled. "She is Don's daughter."

"I know what I wanted to ask." Espa said sitting up.

"Go ahead my dear."

"I have…I have two questions." She took a breath. "Did you suffer, right before you died?"

Margaret sighed. "It was a blessing when I finally let myself go. I know it hurt them, but I was being called." She looked up. "Don has not dealt with it well. You have helped."

"Don does not share his feelings easily."

"I know. He always must be a tough man." Margaret chuckled. "What is your second question my dear?"

"Am I a good enough to be wife to your Donnie?"

Margaret rose and laid Zephyr in her crib. "Espa." She said turning. "You are the best women for him. I fully approve of you. You may have conflict, but everyone does. You gave Alan and I our dearest wish, a grandchild. You child, are very much loved by your family on both sides. I have come to know you. I would have approved of you in life as well." She came forward and bent Espa's head so she could kiss her brow. "Remember always Don needs you. You are his rock now. Come now. You must wake and be a wife to him."

"Why? What has…Mom…wait…"

Margaret was already gone. "You will understand." A soft voice said.

Espa heard her phone ringing. She reached for it. "Hello?"

"Mrs. Eppes?"

"Yes." Espa said hearing the serious tone to the man.

"Agent Young. Your husband is in the hospital in serious condition. We request your presence."

"Right away." Espa nodded. She hung up and gathered up the sleeping Zephyr to go see her husband. She was worried.

NUMB3RS

Don blinked. A strange beeping and lights were annoying him. He opened his eyes more and realized he was in a hospital room. He sighed. How had he gotten there?

He moved a little. He felt in one piece. He took a breath. He was in a private room and there was an officer outside his door. The last thing he remembered was calling for help why he was at Lindsey Fuller's home.

He reached up with an IVed hand to touch his neck, which was throbbing a little. A hand move out and caught his. "Don't." A soft voice said softly.

He looked up and smiled. His wife, his angel of mercy was standing there leaning over the guard rail to look at him. He felt awkward having her looking down at him as he had looked down at her when she had come to after the accident.

"Hi." He smiled at her. He swallowed. He was not used to the weakness he felt.

"That's the Narcan. They gave it to you to wash the morphine out of your system." She smiled. "You are also going to feel sick from the antibiotics they have been giving you in case the needle was dirty." She looked over at the bandage. "You had a nice cut too. Required ten stitches."

He looked at her. "So how long do I have to stay here?"

"Two days the doctor said. Then you are on leave until the shooting team clears you for shooting the man." She sighed. "Are you all right?"

"Besides feeling really silly lying here looking at my wife, yeah I am fine."

She touched his cheek and bent and kissed his brow. "I should let you rest. I need it too. I nearly had heart failure when I found out."

"I'm fine you know."

"Now, but you could have died. I never want to feel this way again." She said.

"Then why did you marry an FBI agent?" He asked.

She sighed and looked at him. "Because I am madly in love with the fool."

"Hmm…we are both fools because I love you." He reached up and pulled her down for a kiss.

NUMB3RS

Two days later Don was brought home. He was back to his normal self other than the bandage Espa had to change for him twice a day. He had been given a week's paid leave to stay home and recover. That naturally meant that Don was like a prowling cat with very little to do.

He walked out. He sat little Zephyr in the shade in her cradleboard. Espa and Lupe were doing Yoga on the lawn. Don leaned against the doorway and watched a few moments before coming down.

"You know Lupe. I have been wanting to teach you some things in case…"

"In case what?"

"In case…there are some men…who bother you."

"I think I am covered." She said looking to her sister who pointedly looked over and went to nurse her baby to watch.

Don was in big brother mode. He eyed her. "Oh? Prove it." He said. He stood more than a foot and a half taller and had her by at least a hundred pounds. He smiled. "Give me your best shot."

She looked at him. "I don't think I…"

"Come on…you chicken that I will kick your ass?"

"Bring it on g-bitch." She countered squaring up with him.

Don's eyebrows went up. "G-bitch?" He smirked. "Such language, young lady."

"Such a fool thinking he is going to pin me."

"I know you have not taken any classes. I checked." He smiled.

"That is not fair." She said.

"Come on, give me your best shot."

She smiled and aimed a punch. He blocked it easily with his palm. She threw another this time with her left hand. It was not as strong, but it still was a good punch. Again he blocked it.

"You know, if you are opening a can of whoop-ass I am still waiting…" Don taunted her.

"Don…I don't think you should…" Espa started by he waved her off.

"This Munchkin needs to learn to stand up for herself." Don said his dark eyes amused and taunting her.

"All right…you asked for it." She said. She started at him with a series of punches. Each he blocked. She spun around and tried to elbow him. He blocked that and took a hold of her arm.

"You're an animal, but you need more control. The idea is to get away. See if I grab you from behind…" He wrapped his arms about her and lifted her off the ground.

Lupe shook her head. She kicked back hitting his shin. He yelped, but as he dropped her down she grabbed his own arm and flipped him over her left side. Don blinked finding himself looking up at the smirking thirteen year old. "I think I have it covered Don." She smiled at him. She bowed in a martial arts bow.

Don was not sure if he was amused or angered by the efficiency that a small child had taken him down. I mean if he had really been serious he could have prevented that, but…He looked at her in admiration as she went to get a drink of water.

He sat up and looked at her. "You taught her didn't you?" He said to Espa.

"Some of that. The flip she learned from Larry." She said.

"Larry knows martial arts?" He asked looking at her.

"No, but she was listening to his lecture on circular force. She learned that just because you are smaller, it does not mean you can not disable someone twice as big as you are."

"Yeah. The bigger they are the harder they fall Don." Lupe smiled. She dropped down and offered him some water as he drew his knees up a little. He took it and took a couple sips. "Hey, you okay?" She asked looking at him. Her eyes were riveted to his neck bandage. "I didn't hurt you did I?" Her voice was suddenly small and child like.

"Just my pride." He smiled at her and tousled her hair affectionately. "We are going to work more on your brain then since you have the physical part down." He smiled. He also felt pride by her ability to do that.

NUMB3RS

Charlie walked into the garage. His mother was there. He was dreaming again. She was often out there when she was alive to think as well. Charlie asked her if she regretted leaving for school with Charlie and leaving Don and Alan there. Don is a great man and is so because of who he is, she counters. She also told him that Don has done well and learned to adapt. His wife is good for him and good for Charlie and that he should talk to her more. Charlie could do nothing but agree. She was good for them all. Charlie told her that he missed her before she left him.

He woke and walked back into the house. Don was sitting at the table writing his statement as his wife nursed the baby and worked on bills. Her arms were free since she had the wrap she had supporting Zephyr to her breast.

Don was drinking a beer. Charlie let the door close and Don looked up. "Hey. I didn't even know you were here." He told his younger brother.

Charlie touched his brother's shoulder. "Yeah, guess I dozed off back there."

"Boy, you got the good life, huh?" Don asked taking another sip of his beer.

"What are you up to?" Charlie asked rubbing his brother's shoulder gently.

"Oh, it's just my statement."

"You're gonna be okay though, right?" Charlie asked. He looked at Espa as she finished filling out a check. She smiled and nodded.

Don nodded at him and set down his beer. "Yeah. What's up?" He asked.

Charlie moved to sit next to him. Don watched him. "I, uh…I don't want you to think that…that you're alone."

"What?" Don asked.

Espa smiled. It was these quiet times between the brothers that made her feel like family and that they bonded closer than they every had as kids, it was a good thing.

"Seems like you've always been left to take care of yourself." Charlie said.

Don sat back and leaned his elbow on the chair and his palm against his head as he looked at his younger brother. "Oh, Charlie…" He said shaking his heas as he rested his palm against the back of his head.

"Maybe that's why you are the way you are."

"Yeah, how's that?"

"Never allowed to be afraid."

"Look, believe me, I get afraid all the time." Don looked at his wife. "When I nearly watched Espa die before my eyes, when I watched my wife suffer in pain to bring Zephyr into the world, when Lupe had a man die next to her and I had to watch her girlhood slip from her…I get afraid a lot."

"You never show it."

"Well, doesn't mean it doesn't exist, you know." Don shrugged. "I mean, I got a lot of people counting on me." He looked over again at his wife and daughter who were there. Espa was listening, but had returned to bill writing.

"I just want you to know this is your home, here with me and Dad. Even if you move out someday, this is your home." Charlie said.

"What me living two doors down the hall isn't coming around enough?" Don smiled. "What's going on?" He asked leaning forward.

"Charlie. What should I do for rent this month…I mean we owe you for…"

"Espa." Charlie looked at her. "I have told you before. I am not taking rent from you. Should you two ever leave this house it would be very economical to buy a home with cash like I did." He patted her hand. "You do more than your share anyway. You clean, you're a mother, you cook, you buy groceries…I do not think I could live without you around now." He smiled.

Her eyes flicked to Don who shrugged.

"What are you kids doing?" Alan asked looking into the room. He had been out on a walk with Lupe. "We have an hour before we need to go to the concert Charlie."

"Yeah and Lupe and I need to get ready to go to the movie." Espa said. She looked at her husband. "Are you sure you will be fine watching Zephyr by alone?"

"Yeah." Don shrugged. "She will be sleeping and I can finish my statement."

"What sort of statement?" Alan asked looking at the paperwork.

"For the shooting." Don said taking another drink of his beer.

"You got a problem with it?" Alan asked.

Don looked at him. "I did shoot a man."

"Because you had no choice." Alan said.

"You always have a choice." Don countered.

"Well, then, the trick is to learn to live with the ones you make." Alan said.

"That would be the trick." Don nodded.

"Want me to look at it before we go? Your old man still has some ideas up his sleeves."

"Okay." Don nodded.

"Charlie…" Alan said moving his son.

Charlie rose and plopped into the chair next to Espa. "You know, I can…you know I can, uh, I can compute bullet trajectories based on the layout of the house."

Alan sat down and started reading over the files.

"All right." Don nodded.

"Where's the ballistic report?" Charlie asked.

Don nodded to the stack of paperwork. Alan gave it to him to read over as Don sat and watched. He looked at his wife. "Do you have any ideas?" He asked her.

She smiled. She rose and went to him and kissed him. She rubbed his head gently before she sat down on his lap crossways to him. He looked at his no sleeping baby against his wife's half bare breast.

"No, but I am going to shoo these men out so you can have some quality time with the seed of your loins in a moment." She said smirking.

He chuckled and wrapped an arm about her back and pulled her to him.

NUMB3RS

Don was alone in the house with his infant baby girl. She was sobbing against his shoulder. He had feed and changed her, but she did not seem to want anything else. She cried harder when he tried to put her down.

He walked in front of a picture of his mother as his nerves were starting to wear. "What would you do mom?" He asked softly. He turned and looked at the piano. He sighed and walked to it. He remembered Margaret putting Charlie to sleep making music for him. Espa often did the same for Zephyr.

He set her down, with much protest on behalf of his daughter, and sat down. There was a piece of sheet music there. He opened it up and looked at it. He started to play hesitantly, but he soon realized that Zephyr had stopped crying on the bench beside him and was cooing softly.

He smiled. She was listening to the tune being played. He played a little more boldly getting into the groove he had once had. He had not been bad at it, but it had been ages since he had been inspired to play.

The sound of his daughter's cooing and laughter made him smile as he played. "It will be our little secret Margot." He told her. "I will play for you when your mother isn't here to woo you with that singing voice of hers." He smiled. "Oh how I love you both and your smile will always be my undoing."

He continued to play the chords as his child listened and somewhere he knew that his mother was smiling that he was playing again. Even if it was just to calm his daughter and no one else would ever hear.


	22. The OG

**The OG**

1350  
LA Street gangs

152,000  
Members

504  
Homicides

2.2  
Square miles

Don Eppes had had the day off. He had spent most of it handing out with Lupe and working on her thinking and just talking to her. He had been surprised that she was very smart for someone of her age, which made her blend into the family nicely. She understood math well enough. Charlie and Larry lost her, but she often could follow and put it into layman's terms when the others didn't get it.

This day they had spent the time walking on the beach and sitting in the sun just talking. Don needed to get a feel for her. She seemed to have recovered well enough from her brush with death. She had handled it as an adult. This was a good thing, only she was a girl of thirteen and should not have been so easily able to drop it. In a lot of ways she and Don were a lot alike.

Espa had spent the day shopping with Alan and Zephyr and had come home to the pair playing catch in the back yard as they talked. Don was in a t-shirt and jeans and Lupe in a tank top and training pants curled down to her hips.

Don had not had any free time with his wife in three days. He had just finished with a major case and had spent two nights and three days at the office only talking to his wife with texts and calls.

Alan looked at him meaningfully as Espa suggested she would make dinner as he picked up Zephyr from her and told Lupe they needed to go for a walk. Or rather he needed to clear his head and he would like the company.

Don could tell by the playful smirk on his father's lips that his father was leaving for the two of them to go up and have a quickie before she started dinner. He heard Alan grab the stroller as they went out. Don walked into the kitchen where Espa was gathering vegetables to make a stir fry. For a moment he just watched his wife as she moved about the kitchen. She washed the vegetables in a colander and then dried her hands as she paused to think what she needed. Don stared at her back as the muscle rippled beneath the shirt she wore.

She stood in profile to him now her hand on her head as her face scrunched up in thought. She sighed and reached into a cupboard for the sauces she needed and some spices. She started to hum as she flicked her braid back behind her when it had fallen forward from her leaning over. She looked almost like her teenage sister as she walked in her bare feet about the hard wood floor. She wore a form fitting layered top look with jeans. No one would ever guess that she had had a child recently. Nor would anyone think she was her age until they looked into her eyes and saw the deep wisdom there.

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms about her. There was an odd comfort having ones spouse in ones arms after a long week. It felt good just to hold her, his hands caressing her back to taut stomach flesh as he buried his nose in her hair. Her hair smelled lightly of apple and her skin smelled like cinnamon. He sighed and lifted a hand to push her hair to one side as he kissed her neck gently.

"I missed you." He whispered as he kissed her neck flesh. Really he had no true want to make love to her; he just wanted her there in his arms. Talking was not really required. He was mentally exhausted and she would help him just by being there.

She turned her head to the side to give him better access. "I am glad." She said sighing and closing her eyes. "I missed you as well." She sighed. "I think I married two men." She said.

He paused and opened his eyes to look at the curve of her chin. "Oh?" He asked.

"Yes." She smiled and rolled her head back as he pressed his mouth to her throat. She looked at his forehead where the tension was starting to ease. "The work-a-holic FBI agent and the caring lover and father." She smiled. "You are both in one man, and I love you for it."

"Well, you understand my job. Dad doesn't. I will no doubt hear a lecture about how I should have come home or at least called more than once." He rested his chin on her shoulder and leaned his cheek against hers.

"We texted a lot. I know what I married Don. If you changed…that would not be fair for me to expect it, nor would you be the man I married."

"Thank you for understanding." He said as he turned his face and kissed her cheek.

"Wanna help me cook?" She asked as she reached for a large chopping knife.

"That isn't such a good idea." He said. "But I you can tell me what to do." He smiled.

"Get the wok down. Put it on the stove on medium-high and put some olive oil in it." She said as she started shopping vegetables. He did as she said and came back watching her as she chopped over thing. It was strangely relaxing being here with her doing this mundane task.

"You can cut the meat if you like. Here is a cutting board. It is in the fridge." She said as she gutted a bell pepper.

Don nodded and opened the refrigerator and squatted down to look. He found a tri-tip steak marinating in a vacuumed sealed bag. "This it?" He asked holding it up by his shoulder and looking back at her.

"Yeah."

He nodded. It was going to be a good meal, but for five it seemed kinda not enough. He went to the sink and washed his hands. He dried them on a paper towel watching his wife cut the peppers with her favorite knife. He smiled and walked to the island counter in the center and pulled out the steak onto the cutting board. It smelled good.

"How should I cut it? Cubed or strips?"

"Which ever." She shrugged as she threw the pepper guts in the trash. "I will need you to cut an onion too."

He nodded as she set it near him. He started to cut the meat into strips. He looked at her as he paused. "This can't be enough for you, me, Lupe, Dad, and Charlie."

"No." She said nodding. "It isn't. It is however enough for a starving FBI agent and his wife." She smiled.

"We have the house to ourselves?"

She chuckled. "Well, yes, but we also have the baby."

"Yeah, but she sleeps enough that is not a problem." He leaned over as she leaned against the island and kissed her mouth with a quick peck. "It is so rare to have you to myself." He chuckled. "And you are cooking for me rather than demanding I take you out."

"It is your day off not a vacation day. They still can call you." She smiled. "I am just prepping the food and then I figured we could go shoot some hoops or something."

He smiled. "Sure." He liked playing B-ball with her. She was small and could not aim the large ball worth crap, but they still had a lot of fun when they played. He continued to cut as she reached over and took a piece and ate it. "That is not such a good idea you know. You could get sick."

She laughed. "I eat rare meat as it is." She smiled. "Honestly it is a small amount of hazard. Hamburger is much higher." She smiled. "Good marinade if I do say so myself." She licked her finger and smiled at him.

He nodded and started on the onion. He smiled as she turned away her eyes weeping even a couple of feet away.

"So where is everyone going?" He said finishing. He went and washed his hands again as she used her knife to put the strips in a bowl. She covered it with plastic wrap and put the bowl of veggies and the bowl of meat the fridge.

She smiled. "Lupe is going to a neighborhood girl's house for a sleep over, Dad has a date, and Charlie is going to something with Amita."

"Are you playing match maker now?" He asked as he wiped his hands.

"He likes Donna." She spread her hands. "I like to encourage him to get out instead of moping about and watching Zephyr while I go out on errands."

He came to her and cupped her face gently. "I still say you are trying to get us all married in two years." He kissed her.

She laughed a little breaking off his kiss. "Maybe." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Come on. Let's play PIG." She moved her hips a little more than she normally did. He laughed as he walked to her and slapped her bottom playfully.

"Quite tempting me or we will not make it out." He said as he paused at the closet to get the ball and his academy hat he put on backwards and followed her out.

She smiled as she bent placing her hands on the driveway stretching. He was always amazed by her flexibility. He looked at her flat palming the concrete before she straitened and walked to the hoop where he was dribbling. He smiled at her as she moved across from him. "Let's go Doctor."

"You're goin' down Agent."

"Oh?" He asked.

He smiled as he dripped to a corner and threw the ball and made it. He grinned at her. He knew she actually was better at long shots than lay-ups. She grabbed the ball and smiled as she moved to the same place and threw it. It swished and missed.

"P." He grinned.

He dribbled as she aimed a kick to his rear playfully. He chuckled and moved quickly and layed the second one up. He grinned at her as she sighed in frustration.

"You are just playing with me now. Toying with me."

He got the ball and walked to her. He pressed it to her middle lightly and grinned. "Yes." He smiled playfully. He looked about at the setting sun.

She went and tried to lay-up. She was just too short to do it. He smiled as he grabbed the ball.

"I." He said.

"You know one day I am going to play you at hockey or soccer and you will be sorry." She said.

"Oh, that sounds like a challenge Mrs. Eppes."

She giggled. "It is."

He made another lay-up. "Come here. I will help you. Now put it on your hand…yeah like that." He smiled as he lifted her up at her hips upwards and she moved her wrist getting it in. He laughed and so did she. He moved to set her on the ground, but tripped and they landed on the pavement with him flat on his back and she straddling his abdomen.

She smiled down at him. She knew that he was not hurt, but he was panting and looking at her playfully as he put on arm behind his head while the other reached up and touched her thick braid. She bent and kissed him as his hand went to her shoulders and down her back.

His hand worked under her shirt and she smiled against his lips as he kissed her hungrily. "You know I could have you right here…" He murmured. "Think anyone would notice?"

She laughed and rested her forehead against his as they looked at each other. "Just about a dozen people." She said.

"What do they care? They probably think I am never home to sleep with you anyway."

"Some of them I think that is true."

He smiled and drew up his knees so she could lean back against them as she looked at him. His hand caressed her leg as they watched each other in silence for a moment. "You know Lupe worries me a bit."

"Oh, and why is that big brother Donnie?"

"She is as smart as Charlie and a girl. It is a dangerous thing."

"Wait until Zephyr gets to be her age."

"Never." He said looking at her as her hand reached to play with the front of his spiked up hair. "She is going to stay a baby I can carry around forever." Then he smiled. "More to the point, she needs to stay that small for my wife's breasts to stay how I like them."

She gasped and moved to swat him and he caught her wrists. They both laughed as they wrestled around a moment. His cell phone went off and he paused collecting her wrists in one hand as he reached for it. Her face had an 'I told you so' look on it as she panted against him and let him hold her wrists.

"Eppes." Don said letting his head rest back against the concrete gently. "Yeah. I will be right there." He clicked it shut. "Baby, I am so sorry."

"Love, I told you." She smiled and pulled herself off of him. She then stood and offered a hand to him. He took it and she helped pull him to his feet. For such a small woman she did have strength in her like a coil.

"I promise after I go to the crime scene and talk to the team at the office I will come home for dinner…and other things." He said looking at her. He looked at saw Lupe, Alan, and Zephyr returning.

"I think that is sexual harassment." She laughed and he pulled her to him and kissed her deeply his arm wrapping about her.

He touched her tongue with his playfully. He pulled back and looked at her eyes. "I'll give you sexual harassment." He said tauntingly as his hand moved into the top of her pants to touch the flesh there teasingly. He knew the others could not see, but his wife could feel his large calloused fingers there.

"Indeed." She looked up at her sister. "I want you home as soon as you can Eppes. Dinner is at eight and do not be late."

"Roger that." He said walking to his car with a grin.

NUMB3RS

Don arrived at a murder scene outside a local diner. The Lieutenant on scene, Gary Walker, requested that they not flash their IDs about. He did not want anyone to show that the feds were there and blow the cover off of the killed man.

David and Don went to look and David recognized him as Anton Rimes from when he worked at Long Island. Anton was FBI.

NUMB3RS

Don walked into the house. Charlie was sitting on the couch grading papers. It smelled like Espa was cooking. Little Zephyr was in her swing watching as her father turned on the TV to look at the score of the night's hockey game.

Alan came down in a suit. Don was deep in the game as he stood before the TV.

"Donnie, when did you get here?" Alan asked.

"Just now. Thought I'd watch the end of the game. Where're you going?" Don asked looking at his father.

"He's going on a date." Charlie said.

"Oh, yeah?" Don asked.

"Yeah." Charlie said looking up at them.

"You know that girl, Donna?" Alan asked straitening his tie.

"Yeah." Don said half paying attention to him and half paying attention to a game.

"She is not a girl, Dad." Espa said walking into the room after putting out a salad.

"From Val's wedding. You know the, uh, caterer?" Alan said.

"Mmm-hmm." Don said nodding.

"Yeah, her." Alan said.

"I think it is lovely." Espa said as she walked to Alan and smoothed his suit gently.

"Oh, hey, listen, I wanted to ask you guys something. Um, it's her birthday coming up, and I wanted to get her a gift." Alan said. "You know, something…I don't know, I just don't know what." He stammered.

"It's just a question of what you want to say." Don said.

"Donnie, is right Dad." Espa said walking to her husband to watch the game a moment as he stood with his hands in his back pockets.

"Well, how about, 'happy birthday'." Alan said looking at them.

"You know, two mathematicians from University College in London actually recently addressed this very question." Charlie said setting down the papers.

"Mathematicians? English mathematicians?" Alan asked.

Don and Espa looked at each other and then walked a few steps closer to listen.

"They used game theory to analyze the best characterizes of courtship gift."

"Yeah, well, no offense, Charlie. It sounds to me like two math geeks who don't date much." Don said. Espa snorted a laugh beside him.

"I do take offense." Charlie said

"Yeah, all right, shut up. So keep going." Alan said

"Well, assuming that the goal is the female's receptiveness." Charlie said. Don looked over at Charlie. Espa also turned to listen to this.

"Yes." Alan nodded.

Espa looked at her husband and covered her mouth as she burst into laughing. She bit her lips to cover it as well as she could.

"They found that an extravagant gift, one that's costly to the man, but of no real financial value to the woman, offers the best chance of success. So, why don't you buy her some flowers? You know what? Take her to dinner in a fancy restaurant." Charlie said smiling

Okay, that's doable." Alan said.

"See? You guys still doubt the power of math?" Charlie said looking back a paper.

Espa looked ready to say something, but Don spoke first. "Yeah, well, when it comes to female receptiveness, yes." He said.

Espa looked at him. "Oh? I think he has a point. You should take notes."

"I don't need female receptiveness. I have a wife." Don said eyeing her. "My wife is always willing." He smirked.

"Oh and you don't want me to be receptive? I can shut it off at anytime." Espa said and walked back to the kitchen. Don watched her go and sighed knowing that she was half teasing him.

"Ewww…" Charlie said eyeing his brother. "In my house?"

"Hey, pal, we are married, Charlie." Don shrugged. His phone rang. "Eppes."

"Huh." Charlie said looking at the paper her was grading.

"Right. On my way." Don said into his phone before he closed it.

"What is that?" Alan asked.

"I need to get to work for the shooting. Gotta go." Don looked up. "Espa, sweetheart, I have to go to work." He called. She nodded and waved at him. "Hey, have fun with, uh…" He headed for the door.

"Donna." Alan and Espa said together.

"Right." Don said and walked out and left.

NUMB3RS

At the office Don met with Robin Brooks again who is charge of the case as the AUSA, stubbornly refused to allow anything to go down in the investigation that would lead his cover with the 23rd Street Bangers be blown. They need to investigate his death as a banger, but she wants whoever killed him to pay too. Don wants to take down the group for a murder of a federal officer, but they can not do that so…

Don wished his team a good night and left to think about how to run down a federal officer killer and yet to treat it as a gang banger slaying.

Morning brought Robin Brooks in to talk to the agents and Charlie in the war room. Don and she did not seem as uncomfortable as they might have otherwise. Charlie looked at the gang shootings in the last six months on the gang areas on a map.

Don defended his brother again as the people talked. Then Charlie worked on the math of trying to solve the crime. They had video of Travis Watts who was high up in the gang who was with Rhimes.

The FBI and LAPD did a warrant sleep to see to about finding Watts.

Charlie worked in the garage. Espa cleaned some and peeked in and saw him working with a ton of pictures around of dead people. Larry smiled at her and walked in to talk to Charlie.

David had to chase a man at the 23rd Street community center making the head of the center by arresting the runner. They quickly found Travis Watts who told them that his men were going after Hoover Street for the death of Rhimes.

So Rhimes cover was not killed because his cover was blown. He was killed as a gang member. Megan went to talk to Rhimes' wife about what she told him.

Charlie showed them a behavioral sequence analysis of gang shootings. It shows them shooting chains, shootings that are related. David went and asked the leader of the Center for help in finding the people and why Rhimes had died. Charlie, Amita, and Larry tried to work out the problems with that Charlie found.

NUMB3RS

Alan walked into the dining room where Don was sitting looking at files. Espa had been kind enough to bring him a sandwich while he worked and she saw to the baby upstairs to allow him quiet time since she was fussy.

"Donnie?"

"Dad."

"What's going on?"

"Not much. Things are just not coming together on this one."

"Yeah, I know. I saw some of what Charlie's been working on."

"Charlie." Don snorted. "He's looking at every gang shooting for the last four years which is a lot."

"Well, he follows the numbers. The more something seems unsolvable, the more he wants to solve it."

"Well, he's wasting time."

"Is he?" Espa said coming down.

"Yeah, he's looking at way too much." Don said looking at her.

"Look, I don't think he expects to solve something that's been going on that long. I mean, with decades of bad urban planning, and racism, and economic blight, gang violence doesn't go away overnight." Alan said.

"Yes, but anything you can do…" Espa said folding her arms.

"It's just that it's Charlie, you know? He has to get to understand the entire picture." Alan said.

"Yes he does." Espa said.

The door opened and Charlie walked in. Espa looked at him over her shoulder. "Hey Charlie."

"Hey. Hey, Don. Hey. I got news for you." Charlie said coming in.

"Yeah? On Rhimes or the 4,000 other shootings?" Don asked rather crassly. Espa reached and flicked the back of his head gently. He looked back at her and she clicked her tongue.

"Both. I was able to discover a pattern. Nine shootings, all of them connected, right? With Agent Rhimes you've got ten."

"Connected, as in all part of the same chain?"

"No. Each one of the ten is the start of its own shooting chain. And Don, I think they're all the work of the same killer." Charlie said as Don sat back to look at him.

"So you're saying Rhimes' killer is responsible for ten murders?" Don asked.

"No, far more. I mean, he may have pulled the trigger on those ten murders, but they aren't his only victims."

"Right, because of all the retaliation shootings, you mean." Alan said.

"Right. When you include all the victims from these ten shootings chains, you've got yourself one person setting off over sixty murders." Charlie said

Espa blinked and stepped forward to her husband's chair. "Mother of God."

Don looked from his father to Espa who gripped his chair back. Don stood up and kissed his wife as he went to go to work again.

NUMB3RS

Don brought in the information to the group. The shooter would be a legend on the streets for that many kills. Don slapped the files unto the desk. All of the kills are single homicides and isolated. Though there were different weapons and places.

Charlie worked on connections. Megan went in to talk to him at home after seeing Espa and the baby. Espa was feeding the baby as she came into the house. Larry and Amita were there helping him.

Colby found out the guns were not supposed to exist anymore. It was supposed to be melted down in a buy back program. Hoover Park shot back in retaliation after 23rd Street Gang shot some of them in three drive bys. Travis Watts was killed. Also Colby had found out that the person that had signed for the guns was Lieutenant Walker.

Don and David asked him about the gun and what the security was at the buy back programs. The security was not exact, but most likely fifty or more guns were turned in and melted down. Walker reveals that the guns all came from the same place. The 23rd Street Community Center.

David went to talk to the community center's leader for help. She nearly refused to help him, but finally yielded when he asked her nicely and she had a dose of consciousness.

NUMB3RS

Don arrived home about nine at night. Espa had been fixing herself a small meal, which she added more to for her husband when he came in looking exhausted and hungry. Charlie was at work still and Alan was out on a date again. Don enjoyed the fact he was alone with his family.

Don and Espa had a wonderful meal with their daughter. Zephyr had woken as Espa was serving Don and herself. Don rose and grabbed her. Espa cupped her to her right breast as she sat down to eat. Don was always amazed at her talent for nursing and doing other things at the same time.

"Shall we watch a movie?" She asked as she gathered the dishes and put them into the kitchen sink for later when she felt like doing the dishes.

She returned to him and put Zephyr in her little swing and set it. She fussed a moment but the settled back and was out like a light in moments.

Don hugged her as they sat down to watch _The Virgin Queen_. It was not his cup of tea, but it was a BBC film and it was well done. He had more things on his mind than movies. He had to think about how to do as Robin Brooks had asked him. He shook his head. That would not be easy.

He bent as the movie started and kissed his wife right next to her necklace that she never took off with the Lauburu on it from her mother. Gretchen was sleeping under the swing that held Zephyr, her little paws still holding a chew.

Don looked at his wife and smiled as they watched the movie. She was tucked under his arm. He sighed and kissed her hair as his hands started to wander her body. Enough sinking into his head, he needed to relax.

Espa smiled and leaned her head back to look at him. He kissed her his hand moving to cup her breast as the other supported her.

Don needed her now. She felt the urgency in his embrace and yielded to his wishes as he started to pull on her shirts. He pulled them over her head revealing her nursing bra and her heavy breasts. He freed them gently. He lowered his head as he pulled her back more against his legs and sucked on one.

She moaned gently. "Oh, Don…I…"

He sat her up. With little Zephyr a few feet away he pressed her against the rub on the floor. He moved over her as they both worked to strip him and her. She looked at him panting in the low light.

"Should we here? I mean…our bed is…"

He silenced her with a kiss and pressed her down as he reached between them and touched her intimately. She gasped against his lips and he smiled. She was wet, warm, and wanting. He directed himself to her and then thrust in grounding her body against the rug as he looked deep into her eyes.

She sighed at his merging with her and her arms wrapped about his shoulders and his legs wrapped about the back of his thighs. "I…"

"I need you." He whispered as he planted his hands to either side of her shoulders looking at her as he panted. "I need you now."

She nodded and arched a little giving him more access. He moved deeply as she caressed his strong back muscles. She matched his rhythm and sighed as she dropped her head back in pleasure. She had missed the feel of his body against and in hers, the feel of sweat mingling on her skin that was both hers and his, and just the tender amazing ways he made love to her.

He bent and kissed her throat as his hands moved down and caressed her legs. He moved them up to his hips and gently encouraged her to wrap them about him and cross her ankles. He smiled and looked at her as he thrust into her with love and need.

She knew that he had been deprived as much as she had been. He could not talk about intimate subjects. He could not come down from the emotional and adrenaline high of going after a suspect without her body naked and moving with him. He had always liked his women. He still did, just he now had one who was always very willing to do what she could to relax him and help him feel better. Even heavily pregnant she had allowed him to move in her to relax and love her.

She panted and reached up to pull him down for a kiss. Their mouth's locked. He sucked on her tongue bringing it to the front of her mouth where he could suck on it and do in miniature what their bodies were doing lower down. She ran her hands along his skull as he continued.

She stiffened against him and clenched down on his head and hair. She felt him smile at her reaction. He was not long following. His body stiffened and moved staccato like as his climax hit him. He continued to move as she felt the spurts of his warm milky white fluid entered her body. He then let his hips slow down and stop as he collapsed on her his head against her shoulder as he panted.

She held him close not minding the weight of a man she adored and had needed that release no doubt for days.

NUMB3RS

The team focuses on victim number one with some of the people who could be could be the shooter. They found Omar Price and started looking into him.

NUMB3RS

Don sighed as he woke. It was about three am.

Espa woke up moments later too and smiled at him. "Are you always working?" She asked him.

"Yeah, sometimes." He smiled. He got dressed and walked downstairs.

"Are you still working?" Charlie asked from the couch.

Don's wife followed him down and yawned. "Does he ever stop?"

"Yeah, I just needed a break." He said casting an eye at his wife. "Where's Dad?"

"He's upstairs." Charlie said. "He just got home from his date with, um…Donna."

"Oh, yeah?" Don asked as he dropped into a seat. He smiled at him. Espa dropped down onto the chair arm wearing shorts and a tank top she had grabbed from the floor. "So how'd it go?" Don asked grinning.

Espa leaned forward and fell off her position and fell into her husband's lap. He smiled and looked at her.

"Fine." Alan said coming down and into the room. "The date went fine." He said

Espa looked at him. "That bad?"

"Yeah? What'd you end up getting her?" Don asked as Alan went to sit down.

"Well, according to those London mathematicians, you should have sprung for the very expensive dinner, Dad." Charlie said

"Nah, I disagree. I think women want something that'll last." Don said. He caressed his wife's thigh. "Something they can remember the night by, at least."

"That would be ideal." Alan said eyeing the other three.

"True. Kids. Commitment. Sex." Espa said. All three men looked at her surprised. She giggled. "Well it was not like he asked the female living here what she thought. He asked the sons. One is married with the baby and the other has not dated well since he was in his early twenties." She said.

"Ouch." Don said.

"Hey…I have too gone on a…" Charlie said.

"She's right. I should have asked her." Alan said.

"I'm afraid to ask. What did you get her?" Charlie asked.

"Soap." Alan said.

"Soap?" Charlie asked looking at his brother. Don's eyebrows were up. Espa sighed and put her hand to her head.

"Not on the first date, Alan." Espa said rubbing her eyes.

Don just chuckled.

"Very expensive soap." Alan said

"Yeah? How'd that go over?" Don asked rubbing his chin.

"Well, uh…Honestly speaking, she wasn't wowed." Alan said. "I mean, she was very polite about it, but she, uh, wasn't, uh, wowed."

"Ruined the whole date, didn't it?" Charlie said.

"It didn't ruin the date. The date was fine." Alan protested.

"You're home alone at three am." Don said.

"I didn't say it couldn't have been better."

Charlie smiled.

Don dropped his head back on the chair after rubbing the back of his neck. "You look exhausted you know that?" His father said.

Espa looked at him. "Yeah. I am not sure I helped that much." She said cheekily.

Don gripped his wife's thigh in warning. "I'm just killing myself trying to find a link between our suspects and the first victim." Don said rolling his head forward.

"Well, at least you have suspects." Alan said.

Espa rubbed the back of Don's neck as she leaned against his body.

"Hey, Don, why are you…why are you looking to link your suspects to the first victim?" Charlie asked.

Don looked at him. "Because when it comes to serial murders, there's always significance to the first victim."

"Well, I understand that, but what I mean is why aren't you looking at the whole first chain?" Charlie asked sitting up.

"What do you mean?" Don asked adjusting Espa on his lap.

Charlie got up and fetched a stack of history books Espa had. "Now, remember I compared the shooting chains to dominos? Right? Okay." He picked up the top book and put it on its edge. Espa moved to the couch to watch. "So, let's say I'm the killer, and I have reason to want this gang member killed. We'll call him, Bob. Now, I could just shoot Bob myself." He said knocking over the book. "The smarter move…" He said as he started to line up the books. "Assuming I know the gang structure well enough, instead of shooting Bob, I shoot Tim, knowing that shooting Tim will set off a chain that ultimately results in the shooting of my real target, Bob." Charlie said looking at them as he knocked the books over like dominos.

Don lifted 'Bob', the large book that had fallen off the table and held it. "That is smart. You're never involved in the shooting of Bob." Alan said.

"That would take a hell of a lot of knowledge." Espa said.

"Since you don't have a motive for killing Tim, then you're not a suspect there, either." Don said.

"Check the whole first chain, your target's going to be in there." Charlie said looking at his older brother.

"Yeah. Good, Charlie. All right, thanks!" Don said rising.

"Where the hell are you going?" Espa asked.

"To work." Don said.

"At 3:30 am?" Espa rose to her feet. "You have hardly slept."

"I am an FBI agent. I am used to it." He smiled. He pursed his lips and walked out.

NUMB3RS

Don had his team when they came in looking at the first shooting chain to look for who the original target was. Jesse Orosco was the second victim in the chain after the first. David then saw that Orosco had killed a kid who was the son of a worker at the Community Center Volunteers.

Owens, the man whose son had died had barricaded himself in his house. SWAT, LAPD, and the FBI under Don surrounded him. The man was armed.

David tried to talk him into coming out since he had met the man at the Center. He coaxed and exposed himself to fire even, but then Owens died, he shot himself.

Don went back to the office and stretched out at his desk totally unbelieving what had happened and why it had happened. He had even napped a little coming down from his adrenaline rush of leading a raid. Don had sent David home with Colby to relax from the ordeal as well.

Megan went to see the wife of Rhimes to tell her what was going on. Don said goodbye once again to Lieutenant Walker.

NUMB3RS

After a long day wrapping things up Don went home.

"Hello!" He called walking in through the back door.

"Yeah, we're coming down." Alan said.

"Yeah, where are you going?" Don said removing his coat.

"He's got yet another date!" Charlie said as his father pulled on his suit jacket.

"Yeah? With uh, what's her name, Donna?" Don asked. "I thought that wasn't gonna work out."

"Well, your brother and your wife came to my rescue." Alan said.

"I bought gift number two on that courtship study list: theater tickets." Charlie said. "And Espa has flowers waiting at the flower shop for him as a make-up."

"According to those mathematicians, you know the British ones, this is a sure thing." Alan said.

"Personally I would believe my wife more." Don said.

"Well, maybe not a sure thing, but it's certainly better than, you know, soap." Charlie said reaching for his coat. "I don't need math to figure that out."

"Uh, thanks for your insights, my little Don Juan." Alan said. "So what are you up to tonight, Donnie?"

"Well, I thought I was going to hang with you boys and Espa, but…" Don said looking at the mail. "Where is my wife?"

"Oh, man, I wish you'd called. I'm going to Amita's for dinner. You know Larry's gonna be there. Why don't you join us? Espa can stay here with the baby. She's sleeping upstairs. She doesn't even know you came home." Charlie said.

"Nah, I think I will grab a beer and relax here. Enjoy a little family time." Don said.

"Yeah? All right. You sure?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, go ahead, have fun. I got stuff to do, anyway until she wakes up." Don said. "Have a good time."

Alan and Charlie walked out. "Mmm, all right."

Don got a beer and walked into the garage. He looked about at all Charlie's work. He sighed looking at all the victims of the gang shootings. The youngest was an infant black girl.

He shook his head. He needed his wife.

He drank down the beer as he walked upstairs to their room. He opened the door and walked into his haven he shared with his young wife, lover, and mother of his daughter who was sleeping the crib.

He saw that Espa had been reading. He smiled lifting the book. He noticed she was halfway through and that it was _Pride and Prejudice_. He smiled. He had never been able to stomach the book in high school.

He set it on the night table and then crawled over her sleeping body. She shifted and rolled on her side away from him. He smiled. She was exhausted as he was. He curled his body against her own like they were spoons.

His hand caressed her side gently as he settled down letting his mind relax. His hand stilled on her hip as he leaned forward and kissed her hair. "I love you." He whispered into her hair softly, like a prayer. He was not sure what he would do if someone killed her or Zephyr. He did not want to think about it.


	23. Scorched

**Scorched**

6,013  
Fires

30,000  
BTU

700  
Arson deaths

1  
Match

Lupe Urriolabetia smiled as she pulled the sleeping bag and tent out of Larry's car. She looked at Don who picked up her duffle bag of clothes. She had been camping with Larry and some of his grad students.

Don dumped the duffle bag on the patio. "What the hell did you put in there?" He asked. "Feels like you packed the kitchen sink."

"No…I decided I did not like one of the students." She said totally dead pan. He looked at her startled. She then giggled and tapped his face. "I'm kidding G-man…" She said. "I'm used to camping remember. I am from Idaho."

He smirked. "Yeah, the sticks." He grinned and tousled her hair.

Espa looked at Larry as she held the baby on her hip. "How was it?"

"It was great, Espa. She admires the stars and planets like a kindred spirit." Larry said leaning against his car.

"Good." She nodded. "I know she was looking forward to it." She said as she watched Don and Lupe chase each other in the yard over a joke he had said.

"How is the little baby?" Larry asked looking at the bold dark eyes of Zephyr Eppes. Her curly hair was in ringlets under a little flower headband she was wearing. She was wearing a little play dress with a pair of pants under it over her diaper.

"Good. Do you want to hold her?" Espa asked.

"I…uh, I, uh not sure I…" Espa passed her to him and smiled as he held her as awkwardly as Charlie. She gently cupped her daughter's head as Larry did so. "Hello, there little miss."

Zephyr smiled at him.

Don was avoiding Lupe as she chased him. He finally was cornered and strait armed her out. His phone rang and he reached for it as she tried to grab at him. "Eppes." He jumped to the side and wrapped his arm about her head lightly. She struggled against him grunting as he held her against his side. "Yeah…on my way." He looked down at Lupe and laughed. He clicked the phone shut. "Yield?"

"No." She hissed.

He then pushed her to the ground and knelt on the small of her back. "Yield?" He asked looking for her hands. She struggled.

"Don…get off…" She yelped.

He grabbed one hand. He smiled as he held her hand as he reached for the other one. "Not until you give up…" He said.

"All right…all right…I yield." She said.

He let her go as she relaxed against the grass laughing. She rolled over as he got up. "Go to work G-bitch."

"Watch your mouth young lady." He smirked at her.

She laughed at him as he went to his wife. He kissed his wife gently and walked to his suburban. "I will see you guys later. Lupe…I will cuff you later." He grinned and jumped into the suburban and pulled on his sunglasses.

NUMB3RS

Don drove to an SUV dealership where the Earth Liberation Movement had stuck. ELM was put everywhere. There was a burned SUV and booth where a thirty-two year old father was burned alive in a fire in that was set in it to keep someone for calling for help.

Charlie came because Don had called him. They met the arson investigator Paul Stevens for the LAPD. He told them the SUV went up with a Molotov cocktail and that the booth had a book of matches and a cigarette, old school back draft making for arson to make damage.

NUMB3RS

Charlie and Larry went to work trying to work out who an Arsonist was by his signature. Larry pointed out is less like a signature and more like a fingerprint. Larry pointed out the motives of the ELM were ecological and not pathological. The fire should reflect the person who set it. Intent, result, and character of the fire would bring them to an arsonist. A fire-print to find a killer.

Megan and Colby went to the ELM. They refuted the claims they had anything to do with the fires. They would not give up their membership list once again and claimed that the FBI might be trying to discredit them.

Megan and Colby returned to the FBI building. Don conceded they might have a point someone was trying to discredit them. Colby was looking at news footage from the fires because he recognized a kid from a picture he got from the ELM. The kid at all fires was from LA Center College. They had a face and school they just needed an ID.

NUMB3RS

Don sat at his desk when an agent came to him. "Sir, there is a girl to see you."

"Oh?" Don asked looking up from his computer a pencil between his teeth. "Who?"

"Hi Don." Lupe said stepping out from behind the man a smile on her face. She held a bag before her. She wore a plaid jumper with a white t-shirt under it. Over it was her new denim jacket with her LA FBI badge sewn onto it. She smiled at him.

Don looked at her and then the agent. "Thanks Bruce. I can escort her from here." He said. He sighed and leaned back to look at her. "What are you doing here? Don't you know it isn't safe to travel alone in this city? This isn't Boise." He said his eyes and face full of concern about her being there.

She sighed. "Espa said I could take the bus." She sighed. She lifted the bag. "I brought you lunch." She said holding it like a peace offering.

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "It is not good for you to travel alone. Come on. We can eat in a room." He said rising.

"I like that tie." She said. "You always look good in dark colors."

"Well you sister got it for me. Apparently, she agrees with you."

He opened the door and nodded to the table. She walked to it and dropped down. "There are a lot of people who work here." She said.

"Yeah." He agreed as he removed his suit jacket and put it on the back of the chair. He rolled up his sleeves as she pulled out the food. "So what did you get me?" He asked.

"Espa said you like to try new food so I got you a gyro." She said.

"A hero?" He asked arching an eyebrow as he sat down.

"No gyro. G-Y-R-O."

"Oh." He said eyeing the meat in the flat bread. "Looks good." He said. He bit into it. "Wow this is good. A gear-ro."

"Gyro." She corrected softly with a smile. "So I wanted to ask you before I asked Espa. I wanted to go to a party two streets over. Some of the neighborhood kids are going. Trevor wants me to go and meet some of his friends."

"Oh?" He asked. "Lupe you are leaving in a couple of days to go home. I really don't think it is a…"

"Please…"

"You are thirteen. No good can come from you going to a party."

She sighed. "It is a neighborhood party."

"That is what concerns me. My answer is no young lady." He said taking another bit. "This is yummy." He said. "What else do they make?"

"They cook with a lot of ouzo." She said as she ate hers and pouted. He sighed and ignored her. He paid attention to his sandwich afraid he would yield to her and then regret it.

They finished and he sighed. He called Agent Tommy Holt over and asked him to drive her home so she would not be in danger of riding the bus again. Tommy agreed, he was heading out to have lunch with his wife anyway.

Don watched her go with the agent and sighed. She was far too trusting of people to be out and about in this town. Even though she was more reserved since she had witnessed the brutal shooting she was still far to generous and sweet.

NUMB3RS

Megan and Colby went to LA Center College to see about the kid in the picture. They found out his name was Jake Eckworth and he was in Room B. His roommate was outside. He let them look about and even helped them with Jake's computer.

They found evidence on his computer that had contacted ELM and he had notes on a board for Glendale. They also found a pamphlet for Verdugo Ridge, a new housing community in the hills. A perfect ELM target.

Megan and Colby returned to work to gather Don. Don drove Megan to the top of the ridge to look about the new housing unit. They spotted his blue Honda and Don called in to Colby to meet them down there.

Colby drove up in another car with two other agents to find Jake in one of the units. Don gave chase and when they had him surrounded he yielded to them. He had cigarettes and spray paint in his bag.

He spoke to them, telling them his roommate Ethan was a wannabe and that all ELM events were planned to protect human life. He was fairly belligerent, but he was right they had little to hold him on.

They brought him back to the office and Don ordered surveillance, but they could not hold him on what they had.

NUMB3RS

Charlie met with Paul Stevens and Larry at the crime scene to talk about the arson case. Charlie asked the arson investigator for the files for the past year and then when Larry pointed out it was a limited sample he asks for the last two years to hel on his research work on quantifying over 600 levels to make the fire-print.

Morning brought Megan to Cal-Sci to ask Charlie to help talk to Ethan. He published at seventeen and he is an reclusive engineer. Charlie was able to get through to him because of what he went through and he understands Ethan. Ethan told them that Jake had some friends from Oregon who wanted his help.

NUMB3RS

Don came home for lunch to see his family and to spend what time he could with Lupe before she left them. He smiled at his wife who was stirring some soup. He kissed her cheek and patted his baby who was tied to her hip. "Where is Munchkin?" He asked.

"Outside." Espa said. "I think she is making new friends." She tossed a bit of cheese to Gretchen who was sitting attentively at her feet. "I need to go in a bit to introduce Charlie and Larry to a friend at the university before I teach my next class. He is a professor of engineering. I hope you don't mind, but I gave him the information to make a scale model of the booth fire in his combustion lab."

"No." Don said. "Anything to help would be good. What's his name?"

"Bill Waldie. He is a great man. He knows my dad from my dad teaching him at Northwestern as an undergrad. It was on my dad's advice he got into grad school in is sophomore year and finished his BS and his MS at the same time."

"Why does that not surprise me?" He said.

"I thought you knew I knew everyone on the planet." She chuckled.

Don arched an eyebrow as he walked out into the backyard. Lupe was sitting on the ground. She was holding something and talking gently to something in her hands. "Lupe?" He asked.

"Yeah?" She said over her shoulder. "Hi Don."

"Hey. What are you up to?" Don said dropping into the grass beside her. "What do you have?"

"A friend." She said. She lifted a four foot long gopher snake coiled up her arm like an exotic bracelet. "He is beautiful isn't he? He must have just shed."

Don jumped back a bit looking at the snake. "Are you seriously holding a snake? I mean, what if it was poisonous?"

"Nonsense Don." Lupe said smiling as she kissed the sleek head. It stuck its forked tongue at her sniffing and then settled back against her wrist. "Do you have any idea what my pets are at home?"

"Do I want to know?" Don asked looking at the snake.

"Are you afraid of it?" She asked. "How can you of all people be afraid of something like this?"

"I do…I do not care for snakes." He said eyeing her and the snake hesitantly.

She laughed. "I have two snakes, two lizards, a trancula, and a tree frog." She said. "One of my snakes is a wild caught rubber boa. Beautiful snakes." She smiled as she lifted the snake to look at it as it shifted a little. "I think he likes you." She said.

Don looked at her incredulously. "I can not believe you are holding that slimy thing."

"It is not slimy." She said. "Here feel." She said.

"I…" He looked at her.

"Give me your hand. My God. Mouse is right. You can be thirty-five going on ten when you decide to be."

"I am thirty-six." He said and reluctantly held out his hand for her to touch the snake's body to her hand. He cringed, but sat still.

"See." She said. "Not slimy."

"No not slimy…I…"

Espa peeked out. "Lunch you two. Lupe leave the snake bushes so Gretchen won't find it."

"Okay." Lupe said as she stood up and walked toward the hedgerow.

Don took a breath and stood up. He looked at his wife and smiled as he dusted himself off. "Saved by the stomach of a teenager." He said. She laughed as he followed her inside.

NUMB3RS

Espa met Larry and Charlie at Student Union and walked with them to engineering. She led them down to the basement and knocked on a door. A tall man opened the door and smiled. He kissed her cheek and invited them in. Espa explained her dad's relationship with Waldie and Waldie explained he would do anything for his mentor's daughter who needed a favor, especially one so cool as this to do. This was the combustion lab at Cal-Sci. She introduced Larry and Charlie to Bill Waldie who was happy to help out all he could. She had to dash to the class, but said she would buy Bill a lunch because she owed him.

Bill showed the two other professors the principles of a back draft. He then showed them the recreated scale model of the booth for the experiment. They set all the requirements and found that the booth could not have been fired by a back draft.

NUMB3RS

Charlie took the information to Don at the FBI office. Don had a meeting the war room with Stevens, Colby, Charlie, Megan, and himself. Charlie said perhaps the accelerant was burned up by the fire because it was so flammable and hard to detect.

Charlie points out that the fire reflects the personality of the person who set the fire and the person who set the fire is a killer. There was no reason other than to think the fire was set on purpose.

The fires at the dealership were different. Either the ELM attacked the dealership and someone else set them up or someone at the ELM is hiding under their banner of eco-targets.

Charlie and Larry were working the garage when Alan came in to do laundry to help out the little domestic goddess whom lived there. Alan started the load knowing in a while Espa would come out to collect it after drying to fold it. They would go to their double featured movie, _Pursuit of Happyness _and _The Queen._

Alan pointed out that they should consider the two fires at the dealership two different fires for the fire-print. One designed to kill and the other designed to take out a car.

Megan and Colby worked with the FBI computer specialist Stendhauser to try and pull information off the ISP from Jake's computer. All the good stuff is behind an encrypted password file.

NUMB3RS

Espa was getting a load ready for the washing machine. Lupe had left an hour ago to go to the party with her friends. Espa had called to make sure there would be adults there and that it was a good party for kids. When she was assured she let her go.

She was just finishing the laundry Alan had started two hours ago. She reached into the pockets of a pair of Alan's pants. She pulled out a condom. She looked at it shocked a moment and laughed. "Way to go Alan." She muttered.

"Are you ready to go Espa?" Alan called from downstairs.

"Yeah."

"I got the baby ready." He told her. "Gwen should be here in second."

"Coming." Espa said as she came down stairs to find Charlie and Alan waiting.

The doorbell rang and the neighbor Gwen came in. "Oh there she is. Espa you don't need to worry about a thing. She will be fine."

"I packed bottles for her and diapers. Since you have a baby I am sure all will be well. Thanks so much Gwen."

"No worries. Go one before you are late." Gwen said taking the diaper bag and the car seat as Alan, Charlie, and Espa piled into Alan's car to go to the movie.

NUMB3RS

Don met with Charlie when he brought in his findings to the office. Though Charlie does not like fingerprinting he used the same idea to make his fire-print of the arson fires. He pulled up the fire-prints onto the computer for Don and the team. They do not match. They have two separate arsonists. He did, however, find matches.

The SUV fire was nearly identical to three other ELM fires. The booth fire was linked by nature to seventeen other fires committed in the past five years. None of those had any ecological motives to them.

Megan realizes it is Leopold and Loeb. A leader and a follower. Leopold did all he could to impress the dominate Loeb. It was the most well known murder in the 1920s in Chicago. Leopold killed a little boy to prove he could and to impress Loeb. Jake and Ethan fit the bill well.

Don got a call on his cell. A hysterical Lupe was on the other line calling for help. She told him she was at the party and that she was scared. Don grabbed Colby to come with him so he would not kill someone there. Lupe did not get hysterical like that unless there was something truly wrong.

NUMB3RS

There was a pounding on the bathroom door. Lupe whimpered and tucked herself into more of a ball. Don had told her he was on the way and to sit tight so she was. She wiped the blood from her nose. It still was bleeding lightly. At least he would be more sore.

"Open up! Police!"

Slowly she got to her feet, her hands shaking heavily she opened the door and was nearly bowled over by the officer on the other side. He looked at her. "Get on the ground."

"But I…" She shivered and protested. "He…"

"Down." He said.

She dropped obediently and he cuffed her. She whimpered and shivered.

"You got ID?" He asked gruffly helping her up.

"I'm Lupe…Urriol…betia…I'm not from here…"

"Oh? Were you drinkin'" He asked.

"No…I'm…"

"Yeah they all say that. Come on. Go sit there." He pointed to the wall.

She noticed everyone was in handcuffs about her. She shivered. Don was not going to be happy.

Don pulled up with his lights on. He jumped out of the suburban with Colby right behind him. An LAPD officer lifted his hand. "Stop right there sir."

"FBI." Don said showing his badge.

"What the hell is a fed doing here for a loud underage drinking party." The officer asked.

"I am looking for my little sister. She called me." Don said trying to remain calm. "So you raided?"

"Yeah, neighbors complained. You are welcome to go look for her. If she was drinking she will need to go to jail if she is underage." The man looked at him. "Unless you plan to cover it up."

"She is thirteen. She should not have been here anyway." Don said. He pushed passed him and Colby was right behind him.

He looked about. A young man was leaning against the wall, cuffed with a shattered nose complaining about a girl attacking him when he tried to kiss her. He didn't mean anything by it. They had gone to the bad room to talk and she attacked him for no reason.

Don half listened as he saw Lupe, alone, shivering, her hands cuffed behind her, her head down. He sighed and walked to her and dropped down. "What the hell happened?" He asked without preamble.

"I didn't drink. I swear." She said. "I didn't know there was going to be alcohol. It was supposed to be junior high kids." She looked over at one of her passed out friends on the floor. "I'm so sorry Don." She said as a whole new set of sobs took her.

He sighed and touched her head. "I told you that I did not think you should be here."

"I know. I'm sorry. Mouse called the parents…they said it was a part for kids." She said.

"I will let them arrest you if you are lying." He said. "Underage drinking is a serious offense and I will not tolerate it Lupe. Tough love hurts, but you need to…"

"Can't you do one of those breath things…I swear…I didn't…" She said whimpering.

He sighed eyeing her as though he did not totally believe her. He looked at an officer who was testing kids and checking IDs. "Hey. Can I burrow you a second?"

"Sure." The officer said.

"Test her." Don said.

"Okay." The man set up the portable machine and had her blow into it for several seconds. He looked at the screen. "She's clean." He said. "She's just a kid." He said.

"I know." Don said. He was relieved then. He nodded to him. "Can you release her to me since she has not offended the law?"

"Yeah. All the minors are going down to booking and then parents are going to be called." The officer said. He undid her cuffs and nodded. "You're free to go Lupe. Stay away from frat parties next time, huh?"

She ran into Don's arms and sobbed. He held her. "Come on, let's get you out of here." They walked with Colby behind. That had gone easier than he thought. One the drive over he was not sure who Don was going to yell at, Lupe, his wife, or the person in charge of the party.

"That's her. That's her. That's the little bitch that punched me." The boy in the hall said. He lounged a little, but Don stepped between Lupe and he and eyed him as the officer pressed him back.

"Not smart going after an agent Ricky." The officer chided. "Now you say she did this?"

Don looked at the man and then at Lupe who was cowering away from the man. Then Don suddenly put two and two together. He took a step foreword and laid his arm against the man's throat and leaned against him.

"She punched you because you were trying to rape her, weren't you?" Don asked drawing himself up to his full height his eyes hostile. "You took her into the backroom because she is cute and small and you thought since everyone was drunk that she would not fight you if at all. Sadly, she was sober and used the only tool she had, her hand." He looked at him and leaned harder. "Wanna pick on someone your one size?"

"Don!" Colby said pulling him off.

"Hey, man, she's cute, won't you do her?" The man stammered clearly drunk beyond reason to explain himself in that way.

Don escaped Colby's grasp in time to punch the jock in the stomach. "She is thirteen you son-of-a-bitch!" Don screamed at him as he dropped to his knees. Colby held him back, but he understood Don's reaction.

The officer eyed Don. "We can file a report."

"He…he took a video when he ripped…ripped my shirt…" Lupe said softly behind them.

The officer lifted the jock's cell phone. The jock ripped her shirt and she fought him. "Good girl. No is no." He leaned down and pulled the jock to his feet. "And you are going down for statutory rape."

Don looked ready to kill as he struggled against Colby's grip. "You are getting the max…you…you…"

"Don…can we go home?" Lupe whimpered behind him.

Those words reached him and he stopped fighting. He looked at her and swallowed. She was crying again and this time he knew why she had been so scared calling from the bathroom. He nodded and lifted her up in his arms like a baby and carried her out to the car.

"Colby. You're driving." He said tossing his underling his keys as he opened the back and got in still holding her close as he fought back his own tears. Again she had nearly been hurt and he had not been there.

He held her and dabbed at her bloody nose with a Kleenex. That boy would pay dearly for trying to attack her.

NUMB3RS

It had taken Don more than two hours to get Lupe relaxed enough to sleep. She was exhausted and he resorted to slipping her some Valerian with the Ibrofen he gave her. She soon sleep in his arms. He knew she was not ready to talk about it to him. Hell, he was not ready to hear her small voice tell him that a college jock tried to rape her in a back room because he though her inhibitions were down from alcohol. That man was lucky to be alive. Thank God for Colby. If Don had not grabbed him, Don would have been in jail for assault and battery.

Colby had been good fetching things for him as he sat in the solar with Lupe cuddled against his chest like a baby. He had her change clothes and she showered, but not as long as some rape victims did. Don put her clothing in an evidence back. Though she was not attacked fully, he was going to do everything by the book in reporting it. Colby had been sitting watching when he got a call to go to another fire. He knew Don was in no condition to leave her and she should not be alone. He went to tell Megan she was in charge for the rest of the night. He also would tell her what happened so she would understand.

Don was surprised by Lupe adhering to him. Normally, rape victims could not stand to be touched. They felt unclean and they would soil all they touched. Lupe, however, sought comfort, and he was willing to give it as any big brother would be.

He heard the door open downstairs. He gently got out from under Lupe. He brushed a kiss against her brow as he pulled the blanket up to her chin. He pressed her small stuffed dog into her palm. Her hand closed about it and she cuddled it close in her sleep.

He sighed and walked out shutting the door behind him. He had changed to into a light t-shirt and some jeans. He walked down the stairs as he heard the three come in.

"Donnie. How are you?" Alan smiled. Espa smiled up at him and walked to him as she set the sleeping Zephyr in her car seat down.

"Hi." She said and hugged him. She felt him go rigid as she pressed a kiss to his chin. He looked over her head.

"Charlie. They need you to go to a fire downtown to check it out. Megan is in charge. I will see you in the morning. Dad, can you watch Margot. I need to talk to Espa." There was something in his tone and they all heard it.

"Don, what is…" Espa began as he looked down at her with the cold unamused look she had only seen twice before. It was no doubt a look he used for his suspects often, but she swallowed as she cocked her head. His eyes were almost swirling with intensity like she had never seen before.

"Garage. Now!" He said to her. His voice was low, but no less venomous than if he had shouted at her.

She looked at him not used to being ordered, but there was something in his look that made her not want to argue that. He was not happy and she had something to do with it.

She walked to the backdoor and then out into the garage after casting a look at Alan who shrugged. She walked into the garage and he followed her in slamming the door behind him.

She turned in the middle of the room as he regarded her. "Well?" She asked.

"Are you proud of yourself?" He asked lowly as he stood watching her.

"What?" She asked. She did not like feeling like she was a suspect under interrogation for an act of terrorism. Her husband was very good at his job. Though he was handsome angry, she had no idea why he was and he had her backed into a corner.

"You let Lupe go to that party when I told her she could not."

"Why not?" She asked. "I checked with the parents. They said there were lots of kids there."

"Would those be the parents I saw too stoned to function?" He asked. His voice was like ice.

"What were you doing there?" She asked turning to look at Charlie's work on the fires.

He sighed. "Lupe called me in hysterics. I can not say I blame her. A party where most of the men are half again her age, alcohol was flowing like water, and the parents are high as kites and could not help her."

"What?" She asked

He took a step forward. "She was nearly raped Esperanza and all you can say is 'what'?" He asked her. He took a hold of her arms. "Are everyone in Idaho so stupid? She is thirteen for God sakes. She should be having sleepovers not going to a neighbor block party."

Espa looked at him her eyes intense. "What do you mean she was almost…" She swallowed. "Oh my God."

Don caught her against him as her knees gave out. He moved her to the couch and sat down with a sigh. He swallowed back his own frustration and anger to attend to her. Really it had not been her fault. She had checked like a good parent would. He had called the parents of the three who had taken her an hour ago before they went to pick up their drunk mid-teen children. They had not known either.

Espa looked at him. "She's just thirteen…" She whispered. "What have I done?" She choked. "I nearly let her go like a lamb to the wolves."

"Yeah." He said. "The jocks were not even high schoolers. They were college frat boys." He sighed and held her. "I got her calmed down and she is sleeping now." He held his wife knowing that he had won the argument and knowing also that his wife was just as upset as he was.

"I…I didn't mean…I was so blind…"

"Hush…she is okay now…" He said. "What is done is done. Thank God she is alive, unscathed, and a virgin." He sighed and leaned his head in her hair. "I nearly let them arrest her. She did a breathalyzer test and it showed she did not take a drop like a good girl. I was taking her to the car when the man whom tried to attack her and whom she broke his nose was saying she attacked him. I nearly killed him. Thank God for Colby." He said and sighed. "The fear in her eyes. I have seen it before. Every time she has that look some of her girlhood dies and a part of my soul with it." He bit his lips as tears came to his eyes. "If she had been hurt…Oh Espa…I could not deal with that…"

"I know." She said. She touched his cheek. He kissed her. "I'm so sorry." She whispered.

"So am I…" He said and held her to him as she sobbed. He pressed his face into her neck as her collar became wet with tears that were not entirely her own.

NUMBERS

Don had spent most of the night checking on Lupe, feeding Margot, and snuggling with his wife. His FBI insomnia had kicked in and he did not sleep at all. His mind was far too active. Thankfully his girls all got a decent night's sleep once Espa had fallen asleep with Gretchen against her stomach like a hot water bottle. She was the best nursing tool Don had found.

Don went to the scene of the crime in a high rise. The six floor had had a flashover which hit six men who were fighting the fire. The truck had said the pressure was right from the standpipe used for water. It was clear that fires were now being set even with the ELM logo to harm people.

Don and Colby interviewed Ethan Powell who signed a confession about what he did. None of the agents can believe he is going down alone for the crimes in order to protect Jake from time in jail. Megan does not believe that Ethan wants to kill someone with his fires. Sometimes being ignored is worse than confessing to murder so people would not ignore you.

Larry and Charlie built a standpipe in the bathroom using the shower. Lupe looked in on them and watched as Alan came in and helped them figure out why the firefighters thought there was enough pressure and there was not. The nozzle would turn up the pressure even with only a trickle. It was sabotage. Lupe was impressed by the math as she normally was.

Alan wanted to take a shower and booted Larry and Lupe out of the room to do so. Lupe is very reserved, only speaking when spoken to, but Larry at least gets her to smile a little.

Charlie went to the FBI office to tell them his findings. It would take engineering to do what was done since it was intentional. The murderer is clearly after firefighters. Ethan wants credit for the fires, but he does not have the heart of a killer.

Megan brought him back in. Ethan refused to talk to her again, but he sees Jake and Jake gets him to tell them that he does not know his name, but he wanted the engineering to make bad fires. He gives up his password to trace the murderer through his account.

The techs found the address as 200 Anaheim Street. Charlie recognizes it as the LAFD arson squad. The seventeen fires were all investigated by Stephens. They all realize it is Stevens setting the fires. He failed the LAPD exam and that is his motivation for setting fires against fire fighters.

Charlie felt used like Ethan because Stephens was using him to work on fire workings. Megan told him that serial killers often will help if an investigation stalls because the want to be stopped.

Don and his team went to the housing development and find Stephens there with white phosphorous that is the accelerant had been missing. Cornered he threatened to blow them all up as the agents hold him at gun point.

He moved to escape down a chute and bumps his head on the edge. The glass feel from his hands and fell igniting instantly and burning him alive in the pipe. Don's team stood down having catch the killer. Dead he was not a danger any more.

NUMB3RS

Don smiled as he unloaded Lupe's suitcase from the back of his suburban. Larry, Charlie, Espa, Alan, and Margot all were standing there watching. The little girl was crying a little as she hugged each of them in turn.

Lastly, she stopped before Don. He smiled at her and lifted her chin as he brushed away her tears. He bent and hugged her to him. "Hey, Munchkin. You'll be fine. I am going to miss you." He pressed his mouth to her ear as he hugged her closer. "We're buddy's remember." He said tapping her LA FBI badge. "Remember your punch and keep the men off you or I may go down for murder."

She smiled through her tears and kissed his cheek. He held her face a moment and then nodded. "Go on before you miss your flight." He said.

"Bye everyone!" She said and waved before going in.

"Bye!" Everyone said back and waved.

Don held his wife and baby to him as they watched her go out of sight.

Larry sighed. "I find myself feeling a deep sense of loss at her absence. Like when a star dims and vanishes. Unimportant to everyone but the person observing the phenomenon. I found her thoughts refreshing and a reminder of why I enjoy science."

Everyone looked at him and then laughed as they got back in the car. "Well that is one way to say it." Don agreed as he started the engine.

NUMB3RS

Espa smiled as Alan and Don walked in after their run. Espa smiled at them. She walked to Alan and pushed something into his hand as Don went to get two waters. She leaned up to kiss his cheek. "You might need this later. If you run out…Don and I have plenty more." She said and grinned as she walked toward the stairs wiggling her hips playfully as her husband came back and watched her.

Alan thanked him and then went upstairs following Espa who was going in to see to her baby. He reached for the tool kit to work on the bathroom. He growled a little. "Damn it…"

Charlie was up there. "Dad, Dad, Dad." He gave him a bigger one.

"Oh, boy."

Don walked in wearing jeans with a t-shirt undershirt and a unbuttoned button up shirt. He had changed to go back to work if he needed to, but it was his day off. "Hey, guys." He said joining them.

Espa walked in with Zephyr nursing in her sling. She wore a loose blanket over her shoulder as she peeked in and smiled at her husband.

"What, we got plumbing problems again?" Don asked. Espa smirked. He took notice.

"More like one of Charlie's hand's on investigations." Alan said.

"I used the shower for a standpipe." Charlie said as Don went to look at himself in the mirror to see if he needed to shave.

"Yeah, and now we're having a hard time unusing it." Alan said.

"Hey, that kid too a plea bargain." Don told Charlie.

"He did? How many years?" Charlie asked. Don held up three fingers. "Three years…Boy, one wrong decision. His whole life's almost ruined."

"Well, sometimes that's all it takes." Alan said reaching for another wrench.

Don looked at Espa. "The jock is getting jail time. The judge was not impressed with his claim that he did not know she was a minor."

"Good." She said shifting Zephyr.

"You know, I know what it's like to be that kid." Charlie said as his brother leaned against the sink reading mail and his sister-in-law watched and listened as she nursed the baby from her. "I wished that I was a normal college kid sometimes."

"Kind of tough when you're still in puberty." Don said smirking as he set the letters down and leaned back on his arms as he grinned teasing at his brother.

"Oh, and you would know all about that since you are not out of it yourself wouldn't you." Espa said looking at her husband. He looked at her stunned as she smirked playfully at him.

"Ouch Espa." Alan grinned. "That was five points."

"That was below the belt." Don said.

"Oh so you can harass your brother, but I can not harass you?" She asked.

"Exactly." Don said. "He's my kid brother…"

"Oh, I'll give you below the belt." She said grinning at him.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure there were plenty of kids who wished they were you." Alan said looking up.

"Uh, during midterms certainly. At keg parties absolutely not." Charlie said.

"How about at shop class?" Alan asked.

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.

"I mean, how about we call a plumber?" Alan asked.

"Dad, I can…give me the wrench." Charlie said. Espa laughed.

"Give me it." Charlie said standing up.

"Okay, seriously, do I have to do everything around here?" Espa asked as she stepped forward. "I can take care of it as soon as piglet here is done…"

"You can't do it. Either of you. You, Espa do enough as it is." Alan said. "And we're sending the bill to the FBI."

"Here, give it to me. I'll do it." Don said moving from where he was as Charlie rolled his eyes.

Espa chuckled. Alan tossed the wrench to his son as he passed his daughter-in-law to go out. "Come on. I will make you some tea." He offered her. She smiled and followed him.

"Here. All right." Don said dropping down by the shower. "Come here, put your hand on this value."

Charlie knelt by him and did what he said. "Okay."

"I'm telling you this, if the toilet goes you're on your own." Don said as he set the wrench. "Just hold it. Oh…" He said starting to turn it hard.

"That's my hand."

"All right, all right…"

"That's my finger!"

They both cried out. Espa looked up from the table. "Think I should go help?"


	24. In the Eye of the Beholder

**In the Eye of the Beholder**

491,000  
Registered sex offenders

18  
rapes

6  
Murders

2  
Eyes

She screamed.

All I could do was smile. I had possessed her several times. This time I had rolled her over and forced myself into the one part of her that was still virgin. I gave her no lubricant to help her take me. All I can do is smile as I move in her.

Soon, too soon I feel my released enter her. I smile and let her drop to the bed sobbing. Blood and semen drip from her to the sheets. "Now you are mine bitch," I smiled. "And no other will know you."

I rolled her over and smiled as looked at her and took my knife. I slashed her thighs. Again she screamed adding to my pleasure and I feel my groin stir again.

She looked at me sobbing in terror as I raised the knife under her neck. "Hush." I smile and kiss her. I suck on her lips before sitting up straddling her. I drove my knife into her chest right next to her sternum. I chuckled as I watched her cry out and then whimper.

I hold her chin watching the life drain from her eyes as I feel my groin grow harder.

I had possessed her and no one else will.

**Esperanza's view**

I sighed as I sat down and flipped on the TV. Zephyr had just stopped crying. She had slept funny and I suspected she got her arm sleep and when it started to tingle and it hurt her. It was about six pm and it was warm in the house. Don and I had a fan to keep Zephyr cool and an air conditioner in the window set to keep the room at about seventy-five.

I sighed. Her Daddy had to leave me with her after he got a call from the office to close up a case. I hardly can blame him. It is the hazard of being married to an FBI agent who is a team leader. I loved all the facets of the man whom I married. I had to or our marriage would not have lasted the eleven months it had.

I looked up as he walked in. He looks always so damn attractive in the torso hugging t-shirts he wore normally as undershirts and jeans. His dark clever eyes looked at mine and his face broke into one of his delightful smiles. "Sorry." He said and plopped down next to me.

I had to shift a little as his gun pressed against my side as he leaned close to me and wrapped an arm behind me. He smiled at me and pulled me into his lap. I always felt comfortable and safe in his arms, like nothing could ever harm me when my tall handsome husband was near.

He held me like a child in his arms, a rather large child with my legs over one arm and the other about my back as I leaned against his shoulder. He rubbed his cheek against mine as he flipped through to the baseball match on.

I closed my eyes listening to the background noise of the TV and his steady heartbeat. I cracked open an eye when I heard a jingle coming in. He looked over and I followed his gaze as Gretchen wondered in with a dirt covered nose and paws. She walked to her bed and jumped in where she had left a bone to chew.

Don smiled and returned to the game as I snuggled closer. I could smell the hint of the cologne he wore as well as the wash soap I used, the new orange smelling _Seventh Generation_ for the baby's sake, and a bit of sweat. It was a very manly combination.

I looked up at the angular profile of his face and his long nose. The Eppes family nose amused me greatly, but it was made them unique. I watched his dark lashes flutter as he blinked. His dark eyes, though not looking at me now, were dark and full of truth. When he looked at me he could see into my soul. Don had compassion and he could be a real hard-ass, both made him the ideal mate and the ideal interrogator.

I felt his hand that had been resting on my thigh start to caress me ideally. I smiled and tilted my head back and started to kiss his neck softly. I could feel his smile as much as I could feel his appreciation to my closeness against my bottom.

He turned his head to look down at me after high ball made for a beautiful double play to end the inning. "Have I told you I love you today?" He asked as he bent and kissed my lips. His lips were dry and warm against my own. His tongue gently caressed my lips wetting them and sending a jolt of wanting through me.

"No." I whispered against him. I felt the hand that had been under the backs of my thighs move and come up to brush my hair away from my face a little as his eyes search mine. Those beautiful dark eyes that had so much warmth and love and, I smiled to myself, lust at the moment.

He bent and kissed me again as his palm pressed against my breast. I gasped. It did not quiet hurt, but it did send a jolt through my body to my brain. My breasts were very sensitive because of my nursing baby, and the occasional nursing husband, who seemed to like the taste as well as the feel of my large bosom.

"I love you." He whispered against my lower jaw as he worked back toward my ear. I turned my head to the side to let him have his way in his advance. He kissed back to my earlobe and opened his mouth. He put his lips about it and sucked tenderly on it as his teeth playfully caressed it, and his palm cupped under my breast, the thumb against my sensitive nipple.

I sighed and let my head drop back in pleasure. I loved it when my husband seduced me. This night he was being languid and gentle and unhurried. There were other nights when his foreplay led me to be taken against the wall or once in the back lawn when he could not have me fast enough.

Most of the time, however, my husband was gentle and took care of my needs before his own. He was an amazing lover for that reason, forgetting his own need, to pleasure me senseless before he found his own bliss. I did not want to think of the countless women who had made him so, but I thanked them regardless. He had been my first and only lover. I knew nothing else, but his seemingly unending variations on the theme, and frankly had no desire to. He pleased me every night we made love and I knew I pleased him by how aggressively he sought me out and had me as much as he could.

My husband's dark hair soon became the focus of my hand as I reached up and caressed my fingers backwards into it. I loved how it spiked up when fingers ran into it. The front was spiked up always from the gel he put in it in the morning. I love the feeling of his skull under my fingers.

I could feel him smile against the flesh of my cheek as he moved back. His hand left my breast and cupped my face and turned it to him. He looked down at me. "You are so beautiful…" He whispered before his mouth latched to mine again.

I smiled and quivered a little as his cool fingers encountered my warm belly flush as his hand moved from my face to under my shirt. I sighed in pleasure as he drew little patterns beneath my breasts. "Don…" I whispered against his mouth, but it was muffled. He used my mouth opening more to let his tongue wander into my mouth and caress my tongue. I smiled as I let my tongue duel with his as he laid his hand flat against my stomach under my shirt.

I can tell his is smiling as well. I also can feel the pronounced swell under me growing as he kissed me. He finally pulled back so we could breathe more. We bother were panting. He smiled at me and brushed a kiss against my brow before leaning his forehead against mine and holding me close. "I would not be whole without you." He told me. He sighed and closed his eyes. "I never thought…never dreamed…I would know s much happiness with one woman." He smiled. "My woman…"

"Donnie…" He smiled and pressed his mouth to mine in a quick kiss to hush me. I sighed. He then stood up with me in his arms. He walked to the stairs holding me with little effort on his part. I smiled moving my legs a little as he walked determinedly toward the bedroom, our own private sanctuary from the world.

**Don's View**

The little minx.

I sighed as I pushed open the door wider and then kicked it shut behind me. Espa never had said no to me once. I honestly think I found a mate who liked sex as much as I did. It was not so much the sex as the bonding we had on a higher plane. Our bodies touched and so did our minds. We used each other to relax and to bond together in those moments.

She struggled a bit so I set her down. She smiled up at me and pushed me back against the bed. My knees hit it and I was forced to sit down. I looked at my wife as she crawled on me and straddled me like I was some stallion at the British riding arena she went to sometimes.

Her knees held my thighs as she looked at me. From this position she looked into my eyes evenly, a rare thing since my wife was more than half a foot shorter than I was. She smiled wolfishly at me.

I let her kiss me her hands going into my hair. I did not care if she messed it up. Unlike her long tresses, I could fix my hair in about five seconds. When she broke off the kiss I though she was going to push me back and sit on me riding me like a cowgirl, but she moved off me.

I blinked as she suddenly dropped to her knees between my legs reaching up for my belt. Oh, the little minx wanted that. I smiled at her as she looked up at me. I was certainly not going to stop her.

She released my belt as I watched her seemingly deft fingers work my belt loose and then pull the zipper down on my jeans. I leaned back slightly to help her. She looked up again as she reached inside my boxers and pulled me free.

Lord, have mercy as I watched her. My eyes unfocused a little in pleasure as she caressed me from base to tip once before leaning forward and taking me in her mouth. I felt my hips move of their own accord toward her.

"Espa…" I groaned my hands moving to her hair, not so much to guide her as to hold her there so she would not pull away teasing me. I could feel her whole mouth as she swirled her tongue about me. She could be very wicked, but this was delicious torture.

I sighed and let myself ride the growing waves. I closed my eyes and held her close. The only sounds in the room were the air conditioner running and the sound of my wife giving me head.

I gasped when I felt my peak come on me rather quickly and felt my whole body spasm a couple of times as I released into her mouth. I panted looking down at her. She was smiling up at me as she sucked a little harder than she had to get all of the semen from my release out into her mouth.

I felt myself swallow as I gloat in the aftermath of my orgasm, leaning back on my palms on the sheet as I watched her swallow. There was certain manly pride I got every time she did that and swallowed my semen down her throat.

She smiled at me. "Better Agent Eppes?" She said cheekily. She knew the answer; damn her; no man would ever turn down his wife giving him a blowjob in the middle of the afternoon. I smile back at her. The way she ate ice cream must help her with that. Watching that was like watching my wife seduce me with her tongue and mouth. Worse was I got a hard on in the middle of places I really should not because of watching her making love orally to a spoon. Oh, my imagination went wild.

She wiped her lips where a little of her spittle had escaped from her mouth. I sat forward pulling her against the bed between my thighs. I cupped her bottom with my palms as I kiss her. There is still the pungent taste of my semen in her mouth, which I really do not mind. I found that out the second night she had given me head and did not swallow. At least she didn't before she kissed me. I was surprised as she shared with me before swallowing it down. It was highly erotic and that led me to kiss her deeply after I made love to her in a similar fashion to show her how sweet she tasted.

I reached up and pulled on her t-shirt over her torso and up past her face breaking our kiss to do so. She lifted her arms and I lifted it up them and then dropped it back onto the floor. All I could do is smile at her body that had returned back to her trimmed body shape and taut belly flesh. She had new curves since the pregnancy I would hardly complain about those.

I leaned down and kissed the top of her breasts. It was a pity they would disappear go back to what they were, which was not small to start, but I liked them the size they were now. Perhaps Espa would be pregnant again before her two years of nursing were over and I would not need to worry. I wanted at least another kid if not more. One child was not good. I had seen my friends who were only kids and it had been hell on them. I mean having a little brother or sister was a blessing and a curse, but at least you had someone to look up to or look after.

I smiled burying my nose between them in her cleavage as I kissed them tenderly my hands working up to her bra. I had two of the four hooks free when my phone rang.

I sighed and leaned my head against her. I knew my wife understood about me being called to work, but this did seem a little fair. I would make it up to her. I redid her bra for her before reaching for my phone.

"Eppes." I said with a sigh my head resting against my wife's chest. I could hear her heat beating. Her hands were in my hair again, caressing and gently holding me. It was comforting with the news I was getting from David. "Yeah…okay."

I sighed. Another woman dead. LAPD was handing over the case to us because the last victim of a serial killer had been a DEA agent. How in the hell did a man over power an agent? Well she was a woman, but that still would have taken work unless he was armed, jumped her, drugged her, or did all three.

I lifted my eyes to look at my wife who was looking down at me curiously. I swallowed debating whether to tell her right now. I drew in a deep breath. "We have a dead DEA agent on our hands. I need to go. I'm sorry." I said looking at her state of undress longingly.

She smiled at me and bent to pick up her shirt. "Donnie, I would not have married you if I expected you to be here all the time with me."

God, I loved her. I stood and straitened my pants and tightened my belt. She pulled on her shirt and smiled at me as he ran my fingers through my hair once. Good enough. I paused and kissed her mouth once more before I left her.

**Through the Eyes of a Killer **

The bitch was whimpering as I thrust myself deeper into her mouth. If she bit me I threatened that I would kidnap her beautiful daughter and do the same to her.

I felt my orgasm hit as I grunted. She gagged as my semen spurted down her throat. I was quickly becoming tired of this one. It was like having a fish. She just laid there. She did not fight. She did not scream. She did not smell of fear.

I pulled myself from her and pulled her to her feet. She stood head down as I pushed her toward the bed. She went and stood there awaiting my next command. I shook my head. Bitch.

I walked behind her and pushed her head forward. As I bit into her shoulder blade I sliced her neck from the side, through and forward. I heard her gulp as I severed her windpipe and slit through her major blood vessels. It was only a few moments as she dropped forward against the bed. Quickly the sheets were crimson from her blood.

Whore…

She looked like she was resting at the foot of the bed. I left her there. She was hardly worth it. The next one would pay for this bitch's sins and those of her own if she did not please me.

**Don's View**

I pulled up to the house and got out. Colby was walking towards me before I even was out of the suburban. "What we got?" I asked. I sighed getting my head into crime more not where it had been thirty minutes ago while I was with my wife.

"DEA agent Antonia 'Toni' O'Riley." Colby said. "She was killed about two days ago."

I looked up at the hotel. It was a cheap roach motel that hookers would use to take their johns. Why the hell would an agent come here? I inhaled and exhaled slowly. This killer was trouble I could sense it.

Megan was by the bed as I stepped in and pulled on my gloves from the pocket of my blazer. "What you got Megan?"

"Same as the other fourteen women whom LAPD was investigating. Raped, tortured, and then slashed several times before being stabbed in the heart."

I sighed looking at the naked body. Her face was bruised and I could see the dried milky white substance on her lips I knew was semen. The man had forced her to do him orally and God knew what else. I was not sure I wanted to know, but I would be getting all the reports from LAPD soon anyway.

I sighed looking at the scene thinking about my wife giving me a blowjob and feeling pity for the woman who had been forced to do it with an armed man. It took a real sick bastard to force a woman to do sexual acts for him. Most rapists just took their pleasure from a woman getting off on the control they felt from dominating them.

This killer took it to a whole new level of sadism by forcing the woman to suck him off and force her to no doubt do other things. I looked about. It was clear he had been here a while too. No one heard anything? I sighed, or would they ignore it coming from a place like this.

I shook my head. This killer was not going to stop until we stopped him. And to catch a freak like this guy, we were going to need to make a hot zone with Charlie and look into his past victims. I rubbed the back of my neck as I bent and looked at her hands. There was no blood under them, not that we couldn't get DNA from the semen the man had kindly left on her and no doubt in her. The fact he was that cocky in leaving his semen around meant he was not in our system and he knew it.

I sighed looking once more before the coroners moved in to take her away. He possessed the women and by killing them he owned them forever in his mind. I shook my head again. The bastard was going down.

**Esperanza's view**

I could hardly blame him for leaving. I mean, he did not have a choice in the matter. I smiled as I looked down at my nursing daughter in my arms. She had woken about twenty minutes after Don had left me.

I cupped the back of her head as she suckled the milk from me. It was a strange ecstasy to have a baby nurse from ones breasts. It was different that the ecstasy Don gave me nearly nightly, but it was still a strange sense of pleasure.

I looked at the clock. I had about an hour to finish and head to my first class of the semester. I sighed and lifted the baby away. She looked at me with her clever dark eyes. I smiled and put her on my knee and swatted her back gently. I was rewarded by a burp. I set her in her crib. She started to whimper a little before she snuggled down and I soon hear her snoring.

I sighed and picked up the monitor and walked out of the room. I jumped back as Charlie nearly walked into me. He jumped back and looked at me startled. It was clear he was in his world again as he often was.

He reached for me arm to steady me. "Oh, sorry." He said.

"How are you?" I sighed and rubbed his arm softly. "Are you all right?" She asked.

"Well. I just got done teaching a class. Are you headed out?"

"Yeah, can you make sure Zephyr is okay? Dad should be back soon enough."

He smiled. "Sure." He smiled. "She's sleeping right?"

"Yes." I looked at his nervous face and grinned. "She will for a while. If she cries just pick her up." I smiled.

"Okay…does she need a bottle…or…"

"No…she should be fine. Don't worry." I smiled and leaned up and kissed his cheek as I reached up into his hair. I always loved his thick, long, curly hair. I held the base of the neck as he drew me into his arms to hug me. He sighed kissing my cheek as he held me.

"I have to run." I smiled as moved to the stairs. "Don't worry you will be great."

**Don's View**

I sat at my desk staring at the computer screen. I was chewing two pieces of gum. It was often my habit to chew something when I was stressed. I knew it and my wife had pointed it out to me on several occasions.

We had gotten sketches from the LAPD working with the local prostitutes and hotel managers. We had put the sketches on the news hoping for tips.

I looked up at David as he rushed to the desk. "Don. We got a tip from a hotel owner. A man matching the description of the man who was last seen with the DEA Agent O'Riley is in a room with a blonde woman."

I jumped up and was heading for the door before he had totally finished. "I need SWAT to meet us at the address."

David gathered Colby and Megan followed me out.

I went to my car and pulled on my flack jacket. I tucked the earpiece into my left ear and checked my two guns attached to the front of my vest. "Let's go guys." I barked as Megan jumped in with me and the other two got in the sedan.

We drove full speed ahead with the siren blaring to get through traffic. When we got to the neighborhood I turned off the siren and pulled up across the street from the hotel. I hopped out and looked as SWAT pulled up. I smacked my gum sub-consciously as I looked at the scene. It was a ground floor complex.

"Colby go get the manager and find out the room." I said into the microphone on my chest.

"Oh it Don." Colby said as he trotted to the hotel office. "It's room ten, Don. He has not seen the prep leave."

"Good." I said. I looked about. This man was going down. I took out my glock and cocked it. "Let's line up." I barked.

I went to the door. In front of me moved a man with a door jammer to force the door for my team. We lined up and I lifted my gun and aimed it ready to enter the room. "Three, Two, One, Execute, Execute…" I cried as the man hit the door.

Billy ran before me as I jumped in side yelling along with my agents. "FBI!"

Colby and David were right behind me. I looked and cleared the bathroom. "Clear."

"Room is clear Don." David said.

I looked around and my eyes dropped to the naked woman lying against the bed. I squatted down and saw her cut neck. Blood had pooled, but still looked wet. I watched David touch her.

"Don, she's still warm." He said looking up at me.

"We missed this son-of-bitch by minutes?" I gasped as I holstered my glock in the holder on my flack jacket chest. I looked about.

"Looks like it." David said as Colby looked about too.

"She doesn't look like she died like the other women." Megan said. "Her throat was cut."

"Yeah and she is not as bruised." Colby said looking at the body.

"She did not suffer as long before he killed her." Megan said.

I looked about and realized there was one less agent with us than had come in. I blinked. Surely, that could not be right. I stood and walked out. Something caught my eye in the hedges. It was yellow. I ran to it and lifted it. It was an FBI flack jacket. I stared at it. The man had impersonated an agent and walked off. The bastard was good and it alarmed me he had gotten some of our equipment.

**Alan's view**

I sat reading the paper. My eyes occasionally flicked up to look at my beloved granddaughter. I shifted my glasses up my nose as I smiled. At my side was Gretchen. She was on her side sleeping beside me occasionally dreaming.

Gretchen's head rose up as though she heard a sound. She made a soft woof sound as her ears went up as she jumped to her feet. I held her gently as I heard the door open. By her reaction I could tell that the person was part of the family. Besides only the family had keys to get in.

"Hey?" Donnie's voice called from the entryway. "Espa? Dad?"

"In here." I said. "Your wife is still at work." I smiled as I watched my son walk to the swing where his daughter was rocking. She was starting to wake by her movement and soft whimpers. I could not help, but feel a little pride and a lot of amazement at the tenderness I saw between my son and his daughter. His own flesh and blood he had nearly lost because he had accused her mother of cheating on them. To this day I still would have laid money on Don cheating on Espa before she did him.

Don reached down and lifted his daughter up and held her against his chest gently as he bounced her a little, cooing gently to her in a way that I knew his co-workers would laugh at. Don was a team leader at the FBI and a strong personality, but his tiny daughter had him wrapped about her tiny finger.

I stood up and sighed. I loved my son, I loved both my sons, I loved my daughter-in-law who kept the house functional, and I loved the baby. The baby was so innocent and tiny I could not see her hurt. It had been much the same with Charlie. I wonder if this child will be brilliant as well. Given her parents and uncle it was a strong likelihood. Espa was very intelligent and knew politics. She was skilled at diploma tics and had the ability to calm a sticky situation anywhere whether at work or at the Eppes family home. Charlie was sheltered, but a genius, a true genius. Don was just as smart as Charlie, just in a different way. As much as he denied it he was.

Though my thirty-six year old son could learn he needed to have some face time with his wife. Besides she had to be exhausted with all the cleaning and cooking she did. Plus being a mother and wife and going back to her job after her long sabbatical…As much as she claimed it was no trouble I felt we three men were taking advantage of her at times. She needed to be with her husband as much as she could. Besides, that was how I would get more grand babies.

"Donnie. I have been meaning to ask you. When are you going to take Espa out on a date again?" I asked as I moved to lean against the wall. I watched him look at me startled. It was clear he had been miles away as he held his daughter. I noticed the looming look in his eyes and realized that he was holding his baby as a security blanket of sorts to help him cope with whatever was bothering him since he was not about to tell any one…at least not me. He might tell Espa.

Don sighed. "We are both busy Dad. I mean, she is going back to work, I have the toughest case I have had in a while, and we don't have a babysitter we trust qualified to care for an infant." He sighed again. "I would like to. Just to talk to her alone, without the baby. I mean, I love Margot, but I do wish to talk to her mother when I can see her face and it is not at odd hours in the morning."

"Why not Friday?" I asked.

"Tomorrow?" Don looked at me. "I am in the middle of a case. I need to think about that not dinner with my wife. Besides don't you have a date with the caterer?"

"No. I do Saturday." I smiled. "Go on Donnie. Make reservations. You need to do this. You team can handle you sneaking away for a couple hours to be with the woman you love and adore. Trust me. It is needed to keep your marriage intact. You loose your private time that you loose yourselves."

"We do well enough Dad. She understands." He sighed. "We do see each other and we are intimate." Don blushed a little saying that to make his point.

"Donnie, love is not all about sex. Hell, take her out and talk to her about the case to help you relax, but you need to. For both yourselves."

"Love is about sex Dad." Don said turning away to go to the TV. "We do not talk because we do not need to often."

"It is not a bad thing." I said watching him. Idiot, I sighed, she will love you for some time away from here and not having to cook. "I will care for Zephyr. You two go out. Call in sick and turn off you cell phone for a few hours. You team will understand. Besides…it is your anniversary Saturday just as a helpful hint."

"What?" Don looked at me surprised. "How do you know that?"

"I saw it on the calendar. Besides, I have a date and can't watch her. I am not sure Charlie is ready for more than an hour of baby time alone." I smiled. "Take her out. It is special Donnie."

"All right." Don said looking back at the game as he held the baby against his shoulder.

The door opened again and this time my daughter-in-law walked in with a book bag over her shoulder and laptop bag over the other. Her hair was in a different up do than I had ever seen her wear. She sighed and set them down. "I am note sure how I did that in college." She muttered as she took off her shoes.

I walked over to her as she rubbed her neck. "Hey, Espa." I smiled and reached my hand up to caress her neck. I could feel a large knot and so I pressed against it to work it loose. She sighed and dropped her head forward.

"Thanks Alan." She said after she had had enough. She lifted her head and walked over to a chair and flopped into it sinking into the cushions.

I could not help but smile at her. I watched my son reach over and take her hand. He kissed it softly and smiled. "Hey, sweetheart." He smiled and pulled her to him and kissed her. She looked tired, but she relaxed into my son's kiss.

He pulled back and caressed her hair softly. "Honey, since Dad has a date on our anniversary so, uh, I was thinking we could go out tomorrow night."

"Don, I have a meeting until about seven." She said. She looked at me and I smiled.

His hand went her back. "Then I will make the reservations at Valentinos for eight."

"Valentino? Are you sure?" She asked startled that he was taking her to the best Italian restaurant in the city.

"It is our first anniversary." He said caressing her hip gently. "You have stuck up with me for a year and given me a baby. It is the least I can do. We will get the six courses and wine pairings…" He smiled. "Unless pasta is all you want."

I watched them and smiled. It reminded me of Margaret and me when we were newlyweds. "Well, that is settled then." I smiled. "I will watch the baby and you two kids have fun." I smiled.

Don just rolled his eyes and Espa smirked before she leaned to kiss her baby.

**Through the Eyes of a Killer**

I sat in the restaurant lounge. I looked at the prospects. I was angry that my last woman did not please me. I saw a girl sitting in the corner. She was sipping a beer. Her eyes were not looking about at the others. She was perfect. Small, brunette, and without a forward nature.

I stood up and walked to her. "This seat taken?" I asked looking at her as I held my wine glass.

"Sure." She said looking up at me. Her eyes were full of shyness. Oh it would not hard to possess her.

And I would…

**Megan's view**

Don walked in. He was wearing his jacket and the dark red wine colored shirt with a white undershirt showing at the color. He was wearing his dark pair of jeans. As predictable he bee-lined for the break room for coffee.

He went and poured him a cup, poured in half and half, and his normal three packets of splenda. If I did not know better I would sat he had a sweet tooth. He drank 'dessert coffee' often. It kept him awake.

I walked in to see him. "How is home?" I asked taking a sip of my luke warm coffee.

"Good. Dad is watching Margot tomorrow so I can take my wife out for our anniversary. I will be taking the evening after six off to do that. You're going to be in charge." He smiled.

"All right…" She said. "Wow…a year. You must be thrilled." I said smiling. "It is still happy right."

He looked down in his way of being shy. He rarely spoke about his personally life. I got more information about the two of them from Espa.

"Of course it is." He looked at me. "I have a wife and a baby." He smiled then watching me and meeting my eyes. "And I am happy, Megan."

"I can see that." I smiled.

David came in. "We have had tips on the man, but none of them have panned out."

I sighed. "Think he is lying low?" I looked at Don.

"No I think he is hunting." Don said sipping his coffee.

"We got a good tip. We will get more." David said.

Colby nodded as he came over. "And then we will get the son-of-a-bitch."

**Don's View**

I sat in a back table of the restaurant in a private table with curtains. Espa was running late. I checked my watch again. It was eight-fifteen. I sighed and resisted the urge to call her. We had only talked once about the phone once about three in the afternoon.

I sighed. We had no one arrested and I knew we would have to take this game to the man instead of sitting back. He was going to rape and kill over and over again until we stopped him. He was smart. Too smart.

I looked up from my seat and saw her following the matre-de toward the small cubby hole I was sitting in. She was smiling. Her hair was loose about the shoulders and back in a dark waterfall. She wore a black dress that hugged against her breasts leaving her shoulders and arms bare. Her dress hugged her body like a glove. The dress went down to her thighs and was tight to her legs.

I looked up at her. I smiled appreciatively. "Well, hello beautiful. You know I am meeting my wife. I can't have a beautiful young lady like you here." I grinned at her playfully.

She smirked at me and sat down across from me. I smiled and poured her a glass of the wine I had been drinking. It was from a small vineyard in Tuscany. She had mentioned the wine as one of her favorites and this restaurant had a bottle from 2000. A good year from all accounts.

She smiled seeing the bottle. "I see you were paying attention when I was talking wine." She smiled and lifted the glass into her hand and spun it. She then looked at the legs and smiled at the glycerin content before sniffing it. She then sipped it. I could not help, but smile watching her. All I could do was smile. One of her host fathers had taught her well to be a wine snob when she drank it. I had to admit having a wife who knew as much about wine as she did the Middle East was good. She had even got me to drink wine.

"Do you like?" I smiled at her as she took a bigger sip before setting the glass down.

"Of course I do." She smiled.

I reached across and took her hand. "You look amazing." She smiled at me. I reached up and brushed her hair back from her face gently. My eyes looked briefly down at my wife's neck where her mother's necklace rested against her throat. I sighed. It was the only piece of jewelry she wore right now. My hand stayed against her cheek as I looked into her eyes. "I love you." I whispered to her. "I am whole with you…"

"Do you like my little black dress?" She smiled as she rubbed her dress shoe against my thigh gently. I smiled and reached under taking it in my hand. She was wearing heels. I never saw my wife in heels. She did not like them much, but she had dressed for me. Right down to her little black sequined purse.

"I am a man Espa. Of course I love your dress. Everyone should have a little black dress." I smiled. "Especially for their husband's to admire them." I chuckled as she did. I watched her finish the glass of wine.

"You do not look bad yourself agent." She smiled eyeing me in my black blazer, black t-shirt, and black slacks. All I could do was smile.

"Thank you." I smiled. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a jewelry case. I smiled as I opened it. It was beautiful white gold bracelet with garnets in it.

She smiled taking it out. "My birthstone." She smiled. I almost laughed that she knew they were not rubies. She actually liked them more for being garnets and I knew it. I looked at her wedding ring. It looked beautiful in the low light and no one knew what stones were in it. "Donnie…I love it. Thank you."

"I love you." I smiled and took it out and put it on her wrist. I kissed her palm. "Looks good."

She smiled at it and then looked up into my eyes. "You think we can be alone for a minute?" She asked as she reached up to untie the curtain.

I smiled. "Look at you…" I clicked my tongue at her as she came over to the bench seat next to me. She pulled down the second curtain to hide us from prying eyes of the rest of the restaurant. I smiled as she turned to me and wrapped her arms about my neck. She pulled me to her and kissed me deeply her hands going into my hair. My hands wandered her back.

My tongue dueled with hers as she leaned into me. My hands went to her bare legs and caressed up the side and around to her bottom. My wife looked and felt good in a mini skirted black dress. My lips moved down her neck and to the tops of her breasts. Her dress offered me a nice view of her cleavage and I wanted to taste the small mole between them. I pressed my lips to the top and then licked between causing a gasp.

"Donnie." She whispered her hands into my hair. "I love you." She whispered against my hair. I smiled feeling her shiver with pleasure as her voice quivered a little.

There was a soft cough. Espa turned a little and saw our waitress behind peeking in. "Excuse me." She said flushing as I looked up from my wife's bosom and smiled at her.

"Yes." I smiled trying to act like my wife and I had not been making out behind a curtain where just beyond there were about a hundred people eating.

"Are you ready to order?" She asked.

"Oh, sure." I smiled as Espa sat back. "I would like the six course dinner."

"And for you?" She asked.

"The same." Espa smiled at her.

"Been dating long?" She asked collecting the menus. I stared at her. Like that was her business and was about to tell her, but my wife's hand on my thigh caused me to widen my eyes at her.

She offered a lopsided smile at me before looking at the waitress. "First anniversary."

"Congratulations." She smiled. "I will get some water. Anything else?"

"Some tea please?" Espa asked.

"Sure." She smiled.

Espa smiled and caressed my leg gently. "She is sweet."

"She was asking about something that did not have anything to do with her." I said defensively.

"My love, she walked in on us making out. If she had not interrupted us she might found me with my breasts hanging out and your mouth holding me." She said playfully.

I laughed. "That would have made her flush more." I grinned and cupped her chin and kissed her again.

**Esperanza's view**

I looked across my dinner plate as my husband dipped into his Carmello dessert, our last course. I smiled as I took a bite of my tiramisu. He smiled at me. "Want some?" He asked me

I smiled. "Sure."

He scooped some out and offered me his spoon. I took the spoon into my mouth. He held it and flipped it over watching me as I licked the Carmel off of it. He smiled at me as he watched me. I watched him move his tongue over his teeth.

I smiled as he pulled his spoon from my lips. I smiled. The man was seducing me as much as I was him. If I was not careful I would wind up in the back seat of his suburban making out and making love on his leather seats. Then I would have to explain that to Megan why her favorite seat had stuff on it that I would have to send my husband out to clean.

I finished my dessert and my wine. Don had only had two glasses, but I had drunk the rest of the bottle and had an amaretto coffee on top of it. I was not about to drive my car home. Luckily it was in the FBI parking lot where I left it before I had taken the bus to the restaurant block.

My husband paid as I went to the restroom to powder my face and make sure my makeup was good. I wore only lip gloss and some eye shadow and normally I wore none at all. I smiled as I adjusted my shoulder strap and walked out to my husband who was waiting by the entrance.

He walked me to his car. He unlocked it and walked around to open the door for me. I jumped into the captain's seat and smiled as my dress hiked up a little to my upper thighs. He looked at me and down at my legs. He wetted his lips as I pushed it down a little as he touched my thigh gently.

"I love you." He smiled playfully. He smiled and shut the door.

He got in and looked at me as I leaned against the console in the center. I gave him a kiss before he started the car.

I looked about and realized he was not driving home. "Don, it was such a nice date. I love you." I sighed looking at him. "Where are we going? Movie?" I asked.

"No…" He said. He gave me a devious smile. "I am taking you to a hotel where I can have my wicked way with you, as many times as I can this night without a baby or two listening men down the hall."

I smiled. "Oh, so you got me drunk to limit my inhibitions?"

"Inhibitions? You're my wife. We make love every day if we can." He said.

I smiled at my husband, lover, and best friend sitting beside me as he took my hand in his. "I feel like we are dating again."

He laughed. "That is the idea." He said. "I will seduce you over, and over, and over again…"

"I love you." I said.

We smiled at each other as he drove there.

NUMB3RS

I opened the door to the hotel. It was small, but had a bed which the important fact. I shut the door not stopping to bar it as I pushed my wife into the room. I flipped on a light near the bed and smiled as I walked to her and wrapped my arms about her as we kissed.

My hands wandered up and down her back with ease as I held her against me, knowing she could feel my need against her. She kissed me deeply with as much enthusiasm as I was feeling.

I pressed her backward as we walked. I was pulling at her dress, pushing it downward to expose her body to me as we came to the edge of the side of the bed. Her dress fell to her ankles as I caressed her back. She stood in her bra and panties as her knees hit the edge and she fell backwards grabbing my shoulder. My mouth locked with hers as we tumbled down.

I chuckled as she pulled my shirt from my body with the ease of a woman who was comfortable with her lover. I had shed my blazer in the car since my intent being her was to make love to my wife, several times before we left the room.

-+-

I pressed her down against the bed my hand against her throat as I kissed her. Her eyes hold fear for a moment as she looked at my face. I kept my face calm for now as I bent my head down and bit the top of her breast. I heard her muffled yelp of pain as I bit hard enough to draw blood.

She was mine and only mine. I had all night to show her that and to take her. I would possess everything about this woman. She was mine and I would keep her. She could not resist me. I moved and bit the other breast as though it was an apple freshly fallen from the tree. Ripe for the picking…and eating.

-+-

I unhooked her bra with one arm behind her. I kissed her breasts as she leaned back in pleasure. I could tell by her breathing though she made little sounds other than her breathing.

"Wait…wait…my period is back. What if you make me pregnant?" She whispered. "I mean we have one babe in arms…I…"

I kissed her deeply and cupped her chin as I straddled her leg and pressed against her abdomen demanding. "I don't care."

"You're Jewish, not Catholic." She said playfully, her voice full of humor.

"Hum…Have you not heard of the twelve tribes of Israel?" I said grinning as I shifted up to my knees to pull her panties from her hips. "And you claim to know all about the Middle East culture."

"Thirteen." She corrected and she grinned at me and watched her last bit of clothing leave her body and go into my hand.

I smiled as I nipped down her body to her navel. My tongue licked her there and I felt her flesh gooseflesh. Her hands found my head and I smiled.

I moved lower as I dropped her panties off the edge of the bed. I looked up at her and smiled as I lowered my head between her thighs.

-+-

I lifted my head from her thighs. So the woman liked it rough. She had no objection to me tying her legs down. I bit her hard. Oh I was going to enjoy this. She was going to be sport in breaking her.

I looked at her. Her neck was marked from my hands. She enjoyed me bringing her to the point of suffocation. She loved to be dominated. She would serve to wet my appetite for a woman who understood me.

She understood her place and would serve me until I tired of her nearly dead corpse. Then she would be a corpse. She was beautiful in her wanting of it. She would serve as a way to satisfy me…for now…

-+-

I looked down at her dark face. Her eyes were shut as I braced above her on my forearms beside her shoulders. Our stomachs touch and rock against each other as I moved in her body. I smiled and looked down at her. Her brow had sweat in small beads.

I could read the unmistakable lines of pleasure lining her face. I kissed her deeply as I moved in her. I could feel her legs moving to either side of mine. Her small feet caressed the back of my leg as she panted against him.

I felt her hands cup my buttocks as I kissed her mouth. I felt her arms slide up my body brushing the sweat from me as I rolled her over onto me as I kept us joined. I looked up at her as she got her balance on her knees to either side of my hips. Her eyes opened to look at me a little startled and a little excited as I gave her dominance in our bed sport.

"I love you." I said letting my hands move from her hips up to her breasts and then to her face as I panted. She moved against me.

"I know." She whispered. Her hands caressed my chest feeling the sweat and hair that speckled across my chest. She was beautiful riding me. She moved up and down against me. "She was right…you are one part exuberance, two parts obsession." She smiled at me.

I know she mean Kim Hall, my ex-fiancée who now worked for the Secret Service. All I could do was smile at her. "Oh that's me." I kissed her again.

She smiled. "Yes…very much you…"

She leaned back as she drew close to the peak that she was getting to. It would be her third for the night and my second. I smiled as I cupped her chin. "Beautiful…" I whispered as I felt her body caress me within her.

-+-

"Beautiful." I said. I looked at her. I had knocked out her front teeth with my fist. I had watched her face then go from pleasure to fear. This was a game to me, but not a game to her suddenly.

I kissed her lapping the blood from her lips as I smelled her fear. It was a beautiful night and there was much more to come. I smiled at her as she looked at me.

"I…" she started.

"I did not say you could speak whore." I slapped her feeling the fear building in her. "You are mine." I grabbed her hair. "I will have you and no other." I smiled sadistically. "I will have you again, and again, and again. Those agents found me, but all they will find is you…"

**Don's view**

I woke. I was on my back. I looked up at the ceiling. My God. I was still in the hotel room. I yawned and sat up. The sheet fell from me. I sighed. The room smelled of sweat and sex. I looked to the side of my body.

Espa was sleeping on her stomach. I smiled. The back of her shoulder had a large hicky. Was that from the third or fourth session of love making? I sighed seeing the sheet was down to the small of her back.

I bent down and kissed her shoulder and brushed her hair back. "Espa…darling. It is almost eight am."

She stirred. "Already?" She asked sleepily.

"Yeah. Come on. I need to take you home and then go to work." I said reaching for my cell phone on the table where I had dropped it. I reached across her body and lifted it. I had turned it on silent. I looked Megan had called me twice. I sighed and dialed her. "Hey Megan…"

"We have a new body." She said. "Have a good anniversary?" She asked. Her tone told me she knew exactly where I was.

I sighed and looked at my watch. "Okay, I will be there as soon as I can."

"She is the fifth body Don." She said. "He is escalating."

"I know." I said.

My wife was dressing as I spoke. She looked so beautiful disheveled as she was. We walked to my car after gathering everything. All I could do was smile…and pray that I had not just made my second child in her.

**David's view**

I walked into the bullpen. Don was sitting there in a white striped suit shirt. His grey suit jacket was on the back of his chair as he looked at his computer screen. He was chewing his pencil as he watched the facial recognition software work against the drawing we had.

I leaned over his shoulder as it popped a name. It was a man named Randall Hendrick. He had a juvie record and had disappeared from the records.

Don started typing. There was no record of the man after 1990. His mother had declared him missing. He had disappeared. Now he was in the wind killing women.

Don stood up. "We are having a meeting in ten minutes. Gather all the agents you can?

All I could do was nod as I watched my boss. He was deep in thought about something.

**Don's view**

After the meeting with the agents I sent out APBs on Randall Hendrick. The juvie record was for attempted rape of a fifteen year old when he was seventeen. He had escalated. I stood up from my desk. There was something I had to ask Espa.

I drove home. It was just before dark. I sighed and looked at my reflection. I needed to think out this crime. I needed to have my wife, but she could divorce me.

I walked in and looked for Espa. I ignored Charlie who was rocking Zephyr gently as I rushed up looking for my wife.

"What?" Her tone was one of surprise. I could hardly expect must less than that with the question I had just asked her.

"Do you trust me?" I asked again watching her face for signs of fear or anger. "Espa. I need to understand this killer. I need your help. He is methodical and ritualized." I said. I knew it was no easy thing for my wife to accept me asking to reenact the last crime with me. I would be the sadist killer who took pleasure from the pain of others and she would be my victim. This would be a strong test of our marriage and I knew it, but I could see in her eyes, the trust and love, that I knew would always be there.

She sighed and nodded. "Yes. I will help you solve this crime. This man needs to be found and if this helps you find him…" She looked at me. The look of love and determination made my heart swell with pride that she truly was my perfect mate. I could not have asked this of anyone else. Not Terry, not Kim, not Liz and surely not Megan.

I took a breath and nodded. I was fully aware that my wife role played for fun, but this was not only a test of methodology, but the test of who we were to each other. I stepped forward and kissed her for a long moment before I took her hand and led her downstairs.

I spotted Dad holding Zephyr as he and Charlie sat watching TV. Dad had saved the kid once again from watching her until he had to leave on his date in an hour or so. Then Charlie would watch her. "Espa and I are going to dinner. Don't wait up." I said as I grabbed my coat and my wife's.

We walked out and down to my suburban. She jumped lightly in. She was wearing a form hugging t-shirt and a pair of running pants. She was nearly the same height as the victim and weight. She was dressed as second victim had been.

"When we get to the hotel I will be in character. You do not know my name. I am nameless and your name is Erin Parker. You know nothing about how to defend yourself other than struggling." I eyed her a moment. "Are you sure you are ready for this?" I sighed. "You will not be walking out of this without a scratch and bruise."

"I understand." She sighed and then looked at me her dark eyes glittering in the low light. "I'm ready. I want to help."

I nodded. I do not think you know what is to come, my love, but I trust you and I trust myself. I looked at the street as we drove. These men are freaks of nature and you are about to see the side of me that stays locked up inside. The side of me that helps me crawls into the criminal mind. The side of me I hide from you.

I pulled into a cheap hotel about three miles away. It was old and was used a lot by hookers and johns. Just the kind of place where the murderer would take his prey. Somewhere where screams of pain and ecstasy mingled into one voice and no one would look twice at a man trying to hide his identity.

I heard her breath catch as she looked about seeing pimps, whores, and crack addicts about. I walked into the office casting her a sly smile. The manager gave me a key no questions asked when I paid for the night and paid him a hundred for his trouble.

I opened the door my eyes dark and watchful. He would watch them for weakness. This victim, Erin Parker, is small and small framed, easily over powered by a man who was my height and stature.

She looked at me her face bright as she looked about. "You sure know how to show a girl a good time." She said sweetly.

I reached into the back seat and picked up a backpack. I smile at her. One must be charming until you get her behind a locked door where no one will question her cries of fear and pain. I laid my hand on her hips and gently guided her to the room.

She walked in. She is nervous. I can practically smell it on her skin. She is beautiful, not in the beauty queen way, but in a sophistication that I must make pay for being better than me. A college student.

I locked the door, threw the dead bolt, and pulled the chain. This place, I realize turning on the light, is a hell hole and it is about to be the best place I could ever find to take my pleasure from and to hurt a girl, but slowly. I need her to not fight me until I am ready to have my fun with her. A delicious game of cat and mouse.

She smiled at me as she turned. I smile back and pull out a bottle of Patron Tequila. High quality and high grade alcohol. Getting her drunk enough to not fight as much and let me do as I want is key. Otherwise I must punish her too early to reach my maximum pleasure.

I pulled out two plastic shot glasses and poured her a double and me a single. She smiles at me as if I am daring her and downs the liquor in a gulp. I smile. She is trying to regain some control and she must learn I am in control. I pour her another. Again she downs it without flinching. She is either very brave or very stupid. Or she is trying to be braver than she truly is. Perhaps this is the first time she has strayed from her beaten path of life?

I smile and lean down. I smile to myself wolfishly and kiss her cheek and then work back to her neck just below the earlobe. This woman will be my whore until I release her from the duty and I will release her when she is dead and when I tire of her cries for mercy and help.

I suddenly bit down on her tender neck flesh in sighting a cry from her as she struggled to try and knock me away. I let her go for now watching her look at me with eyes full of shock. Not fear. No fear yet. Brave little one. Fear will came soon enough and I will feed off it like a drug. The higher her fear of me, the higher my ecstasy of the experience.

I have stalked this, this, my whore for a week. She will be fun to break. I smile and sit down on the bed and offer her another drink. "Come now Erin. I will not hurt you."

She looked at me and straitened. Foolish girl. That brave front will soon crumble like your clothes before my hands when I rip them from your body.

"Come here." I say softly.

She looked at me. Defiance, my pet, will get you nothing but a sound beating, I thought as I stood swiftly and backhanded her hard across the face. I smile a little as I walk to where she has crumbled to the floor holding her face. She looks up seeing my shoes there near her. Her eyes are not starting to register fear. Fear is power for me. I will suck it from her and make more in her to feed off. She looks so stunned and shocked that I drew blood from her nose.

I bend at my hips reaching into my backpack. "Come here." I repeated and grabbed her thick luscious hair. I pulled her to her feet by it and lifted a knife, a large switchblade. The fear is growing in those dark eyes. Tears too.

She stood looking at me and shivering. "Why?"

"I did not give you permission to speak." I hissed and pushed her backwards to the bed. I used the knife as she stands there to slice down her cutting her clothing in half and nicking her delicate skin twice. I bend and press my mouth to the cuts and suck on one making a hicky and easily the bleeding. There was time enough for blood on the bed. For now I needed her have her on those white sheets. I needed to possess her small body.

She looked at me her breathing full hitches as she fought her sobs. I can feel my groin tighten at the power I have over her as she lays before me. I strip the clothing from her and stand up. I am methodical as I remove my own clothing. She watches as soon as I am as naked as she. She looks at my eyes and my cold humor I know has made her worry.

I move up her nipping as I go taking possession of the small body. I look down at her. Oh so easy to enter her and ride the building wave, but why when she can do other things. I sit up and watch her.

"Suck it." I order lowly.

She swallowed and looked up at me as if for mercy. I lay the blade to her neck.

"Do it or I kill you now and dismember your corpse." I said my voice icy calm. "Bite me and I will find your sister and make her service me as well."

She moved and shifted over me. She took my manhood into her mouth and began to suck. I thrust my hips forward gagging her. I smiled. I felt my climax approaching. I smile and then pull her head back from me.

I throw her back on the bed and straddle her hips. I hold the knife watching her reaction. Her fear is like oxygen and I need it. I touch her belly flesh.

Suddenly it dawned on me. I looked down at my "victim", my wife beneath me. She is watching me with fear in her eyes that I know is not totally part of the role play. I know that she has never seen me act like this. "That's it." I whisper. "It's the mother…"

She looked at me. Her eyes are locked on my eyes. I look back gently and toss the knife to the side. I wrap her in my arms. "Oh Espa." I whispered. "I love you."

She had stiffened a little when I held her to me, but I felt her arms move about me and hold me. "Are you Don or the killer?" She asked a whisper. I knew she had seen a part of me she had never seen before and I hoped she never would again. The part of me that allowed me to see through the eyes of a criminal by thinking as they though.

"Don." I whisper to her. I sit up and move to the bathroom. I grabbed a cloth and I gently wiped her nose. I smile at her. "I love you. I hope you know that. I could only have asked you since you knew and trusted me equally."

"I know you love me." She shivered and I drew her to me. "I can see why you are one of the best thinkers in the FBI."

"I am sorry I drew blood, but."

"The crime scene report. I know." She looked at the ceiling.

"Has this changed our marriage?" I asked softly.

There was a long pause and I wondered what she would say. I was ready to accept anything she said. I knew going in that this could have caused my divorce from the best woman I had ever known. "No, Don. We trust each other. We love each other." She smiled a little and wiped the last of the blood from her. "In fact…if anything…I love you more for showing your trust in me and letting me help you solve your toughest case that I have ever seen you work."

"It's up there." I agreed flattered and amazed by her words. I felt the same. Her trust in me to allow me to do that made me love her all the more. I looked up and sighed. "Sorry about your clothes. I will make it up to you."

"Damn straight you will." She said.

I laughed. That was my beloved wife. I gathered up my clothing. I gave her hers and she put it on backwards and I put my blazer over it. We went to my suburban. She looked like the wife I knew and loved now, full of spirit and fire and passion.

**Esperanza's view**

"Damn straight you will." I said looking at him. I had never felt more alarmed by my husband's behavior nor had I ever felt more proud and loved. He trusted me enough to share his work with me. I had a blood nose and two knife cuts, but I trusted me enough to share this to help him solve the worst series of rapes and murders LA had seen.

I looked over. He was laughing as he gathered his clothing and dressed. He helped me dress. He gave me a kiss on the cheek and we walked to his car.

In all honesty, I had never feared my husband before that time he slapped me so hard with the back of his hand, but also I knew that he was trying to walk through a murderer subduing a woman.

I looked at him as we drove home. He was just as intelligent as his brother just in a different way. He reached over and touched my thigh and looked at me. I smiled. His eyes were back to normal and that made me feel much better.

His eyes had turned black as he had slowly reduced me to a fearful girl whom he could control. They were back to their sparkly brown. I took his hand and lifted it and kissed his thumb.

His eyes widened when I drew it into my mouth. He looked over at me at a stop light and grinned at me. "You read my mind." He told me.

"Oh?" I asked eyeing him. "Well, then agent, I will be arresting you and I can use your cuffs on you." I smiled.

He chuckled

**Colby's view**

"Don." I said looking up down at him as I walked to him standing in the war room staring at the picture of Randall Hendrick. Megan was with him as she paced.

"He killed these women because his mother did something to him." Don said. "She dominated him, perhaps sexually abused him, and now he is killing women until we get him and stop him. He blames the women and he needs to dominate them before they came dominate them."

"How do you know?" Megan asked.

"That is not important." Don said waving it off.

I eyed him. There was something in his eyes. He had been thinking about it a while. I knew my boss was smart, but what the hell had he done?

David ran in. "Don we got him. He is in a hotel and SWAT has him surrounded."

Don nodded. "Let's go."

**Don' view**

We ran in as the door was bashed in. Randall Hendrick was standing with holding a bloody knife. I could clearly see on the bed a bloody body. Another victim.

"Drop the weapon!" I barked. He looked at me and smiled. I have never seen a more sadistic smile on anyone. "I said…"

"You have to kill me agent." He said lowly.

He rushed me. I dodged the blow and fired. The man dropped to the ground with a thud. Colby cuffed him and then touched his neck.

"He's gone." He said.

"So is she." Megan said looking at the bloody body.

I looked down and sighed as I wiped a hand over my face. "He won't hurt another again. May he rot in hell."

**Espa's view**

I looked up as my husband walked into the house. His face was somber. "Did you get him?" I asked.

"Yes." He nodded. He walked to me and picked up his daughter and held her close. I could see that something was on his mind.

I walked to him. "Come on Agent. I made you dinner." I smiled and caressed his neck softly.

"Hmm…I am starving." He said. I smiled at him.

We walked into the dining room where Alan and Charlie were waiting. Don smiled as he sat down and held his daughter as I walked into the kitchen to pull out the roast I had been cooking for a few hours.

I came in and Don was chatting with the other Eppes men. It was all I could do to sit and watch them talk. I loved watching my family talk. I loved them all.

**Don's view.**

It was all I could do to wait until my daughter slept to have time with my wife in our bedroom. I needed to reaffirm my love with my wife this night. I locked our door and looked at her as she dried her hair. She was dressed in her light dress.

I reached up and pulled down the towel and looked at her. I set my face determinedly as I looked at her face. I could smell the smell of her shampoo.

She looked at me. "Well officer, what ever have I done?"

"Resisting an officer." I said

"Oh and what is the punishment for this crime?" She asked looking up at me. Her breathing was hitching as I pushed her against the wall and held her securely there with an arm above her head as I looked at her

I grinned and leaned down to kiss me. I let hands wonder to my wife's tank top. I rolled it up. I moved my mouth to her ear and sucked on the lobe before I smiled and whispered. "Removal of you clothing."

I laugh and so does he as he pulled the tank top up and over my head and then sat back on the bed to suck on my breasts. I moaned softly as he kissed me so. My tongue was doing magic and I sighed. "Oh, Don."

I pulled off my shirt. I then removed her sarong and smiled as I leaned over her and kissed her.

**Espa's view **

This was my husband. I stood nearly naked before him as he kissed and held me. The man I knew. The man had had played was not him and I knew it. His eyes were back to normal. I loved him dearly. I kissed him deeply as we stood together in our bedroom.

I was a happily wedded woman and my husband, though he could think like a serial killer, he did not and never would have the soul of one.


	25. Toxin

**Toxin  
**  
375,000  
Medications

675  
Billion dollars

4  
Drugs

1  
Manifesto

Don Eppes pulled up at the house with his team member Colby Granger. He owed the man a meal for a bet and Colby had asked not to have food bought, but to have some of Espa's home cooking. He had had some when she brought in food for everyone on the team, which was about once or twice a month these days. Colby and David were always hoping for more.

Don walked in and set his keys down. Something was cooking and it smelled good. "Hello?" He called. He noted Zephyr was not in her sling. There were cars here. He pulled off his suit jacket and walked into the backyard.

There was song playing that was Middle Eastern sounding. Don stepped out with Colby right behind him. Susanne was over at the house. She and Espa were working on some dance moves. Both were dressed in belly dancing outfits, Susanne's was green and Espa's was blue. Colby blinked as Don walked to his father who was sitting in the shade with Zephyr on a blanket. The baby looked up at her father and laughed at him. He smiled and dropped to a knee on the blanket and lifted her up.

Espa went over to the staring Colby. She smiled and as the beat changed his hips dropped to her hips and moving ab-muscles. She came up to him and smiled. She pushed a hand up under his chin to clap his mouth shut that had been open. He was startled and seemed not to have noticed. She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Hi Colby." She said and then turned away and moved back to Susanne who had contorted herself into a bridge shape with her body arched. Espa smiled at Don and blew him a playful kiss.

Don looked at Colby and felt his jealousy and anger flare a bit, but the man was young, unmarried, and Espa had started flirting with him. He sighed and watched as the girls stopped as the song ended.

Espa moved from her position and went to the blanket as Susanne coughed a little and went to her bag to get a drink of water and her inhaler. Espa dropped beside her husband. "Hello." She smiled at him.

Colby came over. "So…Espa….Mrs. Eppes…uh, wife of my boss." He said seeing Don's look that was cast at him for calling her by her nickname. "Belly dancing seems to be your talent." He smiled. "No one would ever have guessed you gave birth two and a half months ago."

"One of them." Don agreed. He rocked his baby. He stood up and thrust the small child at Colby to take as he came to his wife and kissed her. Men would be men and he was laying claim to that, which was his.

Colby held the baby out from him. He had not idea what to do with her. Alan smiled. "If you hold her closer she will not squirm in your hands like that. Colby did as he directed and the baby settled against him.

"What brings you two here?" Espa asked.

"A bet. Don bet me I could not get a file finished in an hour. I won and hence I get the best lunch this side of the Oregon border." Colby said.

Don looked a little sheepish. He looked over and saw Susanne on her knees choking. He walked to her. "You all right?"

"Can't…breath…" She gasped.

Don gently reached for her inhaler, but she fell to her side and began to shake all over. Don gasped and rolled her gently to her side to avoid her head cracking against the pavement. That CPR and First Aide class was bound to pay off at some point he had known.

Colby swung into action. "I will call an ambulance." He handed Alan the baby as he reached for his cell phone.

Espa came over to Don. "Is she breathing?"

"No…" He said. "Not that uncommon with seizures."

"I know." She said. Susanne moved about for another minute before she stopped. A second later her breathing restarted with a gasp and cough. She was unconscious, but she was breathing. Espa lifted the inhaler. It was her over-the-counter med she took when there was too much pollen in the air.

Don took a breath and let her relax to the ground. He reached for his phone. "What is her husband's name and phone number?"

"I…376-555-2453." She said. "He is at work. His name is Ron Heron."

Don nodded as he typed in the number. The phone rang. "Yes, sir, I know you do not know this number. I am Don Eppes, Espa Eppes' husband. Yes, the one who works for the FBI…No that is my brother, anyway sir, you need to come down to St. Luke's hospital. There is a problem…No, your wife sir. She collapsed and had a seizure. We have paramedics on the way…good we will see you there." He said hearing the faint sirens in the distance. He looked at Colby as he put his phone back on his belt.

NUMB3RS

Espa stayed at the hospital when Don was called off to Mount Sinai to check on a death. It was spooky because the doctors at the NIH believe it is product tampering. Four people have died from seizures and apparent stroke in a little over two weeks. Don got a call from Espa telling him that the Susanne was stable in ICU, but it was touch and go. So they had five victims. He had seen her over the counter medicine she had taken just before. Just like the other victims.

The poison was Primalect, a pain reliever. The killer poisoned drugs with another. Worse the medications tampered with were a nasal spray, a cough suppressant, and three inhalers called Truften. All were bought at different pharmacies.

Don went to pick up Espa. Susanne's family had come a couple hours before and Espa was alone in the waiting room waiting for him. It was not the same when a victim of a crime was close to you.

In morning brought information about the drug Primalect. It was found to cause strokes and arrhythmia and was still allowed to go to clinical trials. After clinical trials everyone with a medical certification could get it.

Megan does not think the killer meant to kill. With a syringe putting it in it took careful thought and it would only harm a few people, not everyone. He could have used strychnine, cyanide, or any of more than a few hundred toxins known. She thought the person was trying to communicate.

Charlie comes in and agrees. He is sending a message with four different drugs and the poisoning with Primalect is the key to the riddle.

David and Megan went to talk to Graybridge Pharmaceuticals who made the Primalect and also made the three contaminated products. The CEO denied involvement and did not take well to Megan threatening him with exposure in the media if they were stonewalling the FBI.

NUMB3RS

Don came home from work about eight-thirty. He went upstairs after giving Espa a kiss to see his sleeping daughter before he came back down. He had not seen her at all today and he missed her. Espa had fixed him a quick dinner and then he and sprawled on the couch to read his files on Graybridge that David and Megan had found for him. Charlie was sitting grading papers as was Espa. She had given quizzes and she was reading through them as she sat on the floor beside Don. Alan sat in his easy chair doing a crossword.

Don sighed and rubbed his face as he set the files in his lap and put on leg up. Espa sighed and reached behind her and caressed the thigh of his leg. She leaned her head back to look at him. "Stressed my love?" She asked.

"The guy's poisoning over-the-counter drugs and…and we're keeping quiet because the manufacturer convinced us to." He said. He looked at his wife and sighed again. "I mean, boy, if that doesn't say something."

"About?" Charlie asked looking up.

Espa's head rolled forward to look at him.

"Corporations, their influence." Don said as he tucked up his other leg so it was flat against the couch. Espa leaned her head against his knee gently to have contact with him. She had not liked having only a phone call through the day and now even at home he was working.

"You know, research costs a lot of money." Alan said looking up from his puzzle. "Without companies with resources, you can't get any development."

"And that makes it right?" Espa asked.

"I agree, so what, you think it's okay for someone like Graybridge to sell drugs that are potentially harmful to people?" Don asked as he touched his wife's neck affectionately.

"No, I'm saying nothing is completely safe." Alan said. "You know, peanuts can kill some people. And if that were the standard to releasing drugs then you wouldn't have any drugs, prescription or otherwise." He looked down. "Okay, eight-letter word for, uh, egotistical."

"Conceited." Charlie said looking up.

"Conceited is a nine-letter word." Alan said looking at him.

"C-O-N-C-E-T-E-D." Charlie said.

Espa looked up at Don who was smirking. "Don is right Charlie. You can't spell. I mean, I am not great, but…"

"Does he tell you everything?" Charlie asked her. Don smirked as he looked down at his paperwork. "I mean, you know more about me than a sister-in-law should."

"Oh yes anomaly as come up several times. A-L-Y not O-L-Y." She smiled. Don chocked a laugh at that. She swatted his thigh gently to get him to stop. "We are married you know." She leaned back and pursed her lips in a kiss to her husband who smiled and shifted so he was sitting straighter. He stretched the leg that had been up out on the couch. Espa still was leaning against his knee.

She looked at her father-in-law. "It is Arrogant. A-R-R-O-G-A-N-T. Eight letters." She said looking back at her test, smiling as she did so.

Alan looked down. "Oh. Thanks." He wrote it in and looked at his younger son. "Another person might think that our educational system has failed you completely, Charlie." He removed his glasses. "You see in urban engineering, every time you build a bridge it destroys someone's property." He said as Don looked up at him listening. "Every bypass hurts someone's business. I mean, you know that going in. You just have to weigh the benefits against the risks, and hope to hell that you're doing more good than harm." He put his glasses back on.

"I don't buy that. I mean, there's got to be something we can do. You know, I mean, if it were one drug, believe me, we would put out a…a public warning, but the thing is, how do you warn against random attacks?" Don asked as he shrugged.

"Well, there's random and…and then there's random." Charlie said looking up.

Three sets of eyes looked at him. "The difference being what?" Alan asked speaking for the minds of his elder son and daughter-in-law.

Charlie stood up. "Here, give me that." He said reaching for the paper.

"Pencil, pencil." Alan said.

"Okay. Here we have a stream of information, right?" Charlie said sitting down on the table. "A string of letters. Okay, so what is it? Okay it's S-T-E. All right, so what's the next letter?" He asked.

Alan put on his glasses and reached for the paper to read. "Well, uh…Well, that depends on seven-letter word for a ciliate protozoan."

"Dad, ignore the clue." Charlie said.

"Ignore the clue?" Espa asked.

"Well, it could be anything." Alan said sitting back stuttering. "It could be, uh, stencil, uh, steeple, uh stellar, uh…It could be anything."

"Not anything, Dad. Just…just a lot of things. See, absent other information, clues, we really…we…we don't know what the next letter's gonna be. But since there are letters that are more likely to be the next letter in the sequence than others, like A or E, or like R…"

"I see what you're saying." Don said sitting up. He shifted his legs to the side of Espa as she looked from Charlie to Don and back. "So it's not completely random."

"It's called information entropy. See you're bounded by the alphabet. Twenty-six possibilities."

"In English." Espa pointed out.

"Further bounded by the inventory of the English language. So what is our prisoner's boundaries?" Charlie said.

Don rose to his feet to start his normal pacing that he did when he was deep in thought. "Right. Well, I mean, he only messed with Graybridge's drugs."

"So that's one boundary. Okay. Now, you might make geographical assumptions as well right?" Charlie said. "I mean, it's not likely he's going to jump on a plane to Idaho for the next attack."

"Why does all the bad crap in this town happen because of people from Idaho?" Espa asked looking at Don.

"It would help if your state had gun registration and was not home to anti-government neo-Nazis." Don said smiling at her.

"Yeah, you 're still casting a very wide net." Alan said bringing the conversation back to the relevant topic at hand.

"Can you narrow it down using your entropy thing so that we could pinpoint where he might hit next?" Don asked.

"Well, given the limited data set you're talking about, all the work I have to do, I mean, it's not like I can just, you know, whip up a magic formula for every single problem, you know." Charlie said as he stood up. His brother had sat back down with his legs to either side of his wife. His hands lost themselves in her hair.

"Sucks to be a professor don't it." Espa said.

"Well, that's not what you said last Friday." Alan said with a smile.

"Yeah, well, he did have a couple of beers in him, so…" Don said.

Espa looked up from where Don was playing with her thick tresses. "What did you boys do that I don't know about? I mean, you were supposed to be watching the game and Zephyr."

"Actually, it was four beers." Charlie said.

Espa gasped, but Don tousled her hair over her face. She sighed. "Well, I know Don can handle his beer and he never has more than two…" She said. She sighed. "At least someone was caring for my child while her uncle got drunk…"

"I was not drunk. And, uh, it's stentor." Charlie said dropping into the seat again.

"What? What is stentor?" Alan asked.

"Ciliate protozoan." Charlie said smiling.

Alan looked at his puzzle and then back at his son in surprise. Espa heard a cry from the monitor on the table. Don retracted his hands from her hair after completely messing it up. She stood up using his leg as a brace. She then flipped her hair forward and then backward. She smiled at him and then walked to the stairs.

NUMB3RS

Morning had Megan and Colby went over the video surveillance footage from the pharmacies to see if they could catch the prisoner. So far just a lot of shoplifters.

Don came in from a meeting with Assistant Hodges that had told him that they were treating the case as an serious extortion case so they could keep a press release out of the picture.

David walked in with a free daily called Melrose Outrage that the prisoner had tipped. He called it the _Toxic Manifesto_ part one of ten. It lists all the drugs that had been tampered with and he will tamper with. The guy got tired of them looking for him.

Don and Megan went to lunch and talked about the _Toxic Manifesto_ on the way back to the office. The details in the paper are very specific. The FDA cleared Primalect for clinical when they knew it was unsafe because of reports on the frequency of strokes and heart attacks. The FDA went along with Graybridge anyway.

Colby and David were sent to go to the Outrage's base, which happened to be a dive bar. They discover a man tearing up an office looking for something and he has a gun. His is cuffed and Colby talks to the editor who had the whole document hidden away. The man with the gun was Yardley, a man working for Graybridge. He also had a permit for the gun and he was investigating leads for the company.

NUMB3RS

Espa had just finished her class on Islam and Nationalism and had wandered to find Charlie for lunch. They had grabbed it and walked back to his office. He had eaten quickly and started to grade again as she went to pump her breasts for her baby to nurse while she was at home with Gwen or Alan during the day.

The she set about eating her cottage cheese and tomato slices with grapes and cheese. She sat on the floor with the tray on her knees. She had a bottle of unsweetened tea on it as well.

Charlie was grading papers. She had finished in the morning before he class. She took a sip of her tea.

They both looked up as there was a knock on the open door. "Young Eppes, your very own copy of th _Toxic Manifesto_. Unabridged." Don said stepping in and handing his brother the large file. He smiled at his wife. "Hello, Shorty Eppes."

"That is Mouse, thank you." She hissed at him as she bit into a tomato slice. "You're tall from down here."

"I am tall next to you anyway. Now it is three feet instead of one." Don bantered back.

"Okay." Charlie said as he flipped it open. He rifled through the pages and looked up at his elder brother. "Uh, we've quiet clearly established that English is not my forte, but, Don, this looks like gibberish to me."

"It's only two hundred and nineteen pages, but Megan says it goes to motive, so I'm thinking it might be helpful with your information theory thing." Don said.

"Information entropy." Espa said from the floor around a mouthful of cottage cheese.

"Hmm. The entropy angle is…is a blunt instrument, but if I could just…If I could refine it with his intent…" Charlie sighed.

"There you go. Now you're in gear." Don praised.

Espa threw a grape at his shoe. He looked at her. "Don't be so patronizing to the kid."

"Kid? You call him kid, and I am patronizing?" Don said.

"The thing is, uh, I've got papers to grade and classes to teach." Charlie said.

"A professor's work never ends Charlie. You just need a little time management." Espa said.

"They guy killed four people and has one in the hospital and says there's gonna be more, so I know you're busy, but…" Don sighed.

"I…I understand." Charlie said and sighed.

A soft knock cause the three to turn to the door. "Larry. How are you?" Don asked.

"Larry? What's up mi amigo?" Espa asked raising her hand, but not looking at him as she took another bite.

Don clapped his shoulder gently. "Don. Espa. I'm very well, thank you. Charles, can I pick your brain?"

Don squatted down and stole his wife's tea bottle and took a large drink from it as she started to protest and then sighed. She cocked her head and offered him a grape. He smiled and opened his mouth. She put it against his lips and he grinned at her and stole the grape bunch. He stood up and took a step back knowing she could not move because she would risk spilling everything.

"You're more than welcome to whatever scraps my brother leaves behind." Charlie said as Don rejoined them eating the grapes. Don made a face as he plucked another grape and ate it.

"_Toxic Manifesto_." Larry said reading over Charlie's shoulder. "Hey, hey, can I see this, please?" He asked stealing it from Charlie's lap. "This is about the…the medicine scare."

"Yeah." Don said. He sighed as though he were debating whether to allow Larry to read the paper.

"Yeah, 'cause the news was vague. It sounded like it was a…a hoax, urban myth, or something." Larry said.

"More like something." Don said. "I mean, The Outrage is retracting, Graybridge is denying, and the word for me on high is not to encourage an irrational panic." Don said making quotation marks with his fingers to say the last two words.

Espa was doing her normal bit of listening and blending into the background.

"Well, should there be a rational panic?" Larry asked him.

"Yeah, well that is the question." Don said. His cell rang and he picked it up. "Excuse me." He opened his phone. "Eppes."

It was Megan who had been doing checking into the phone records from the Outrage. Someone called them from Sibley and he was the guy who had sent the _Manifesto_. She had called Sibley and found out the postman remembered the man was black.

The area is familiar to the federal agents because seven months before Bob McHugh, a local rancher who sold tainted beef had killed a federal officer after a three day stand off. McHugh is on the run, but the black man was asking about McHugh.

NUMB3RS

Colby and David drive up to Sibley and it makes Colby a little homesick for Idaho where he grew up. Once in Sibley, they meet up with Edgerton, whom Colby heard about, but had never met. They have a talk about McHugh and the local people. Edgerton had been up there three weeks and remembered the black man. He also drew them a picture of the man they wanted to locate a name.

Larry met up with Megan in the hallway of the FBI office to talk to her about the _Manifesto_. He was stunned by the man's chemistry skill that sent him back to his textbooks. He also suggested they look for a man with a degree in advanced chemistry.

Megan then looked up people with a higher education in chemistry and matched it to Edgerton's sketch. She got Mark Brott. He was fired and he sent papers telling Graybridge that the medicine was not safe. He also states in the Manifesto that he is looking to find an ally with McHugh. It is a strange person to look for, but there has to be a common factor.

Colby and David pull up the pharmacies. They are nearly in a line except for Susanne Bosman. She is no where near the other grouping. They are left to puzzle over that for a while.

NUMB3RS

Espa walked quickly through the office. She was out of breath as she leaned against the war room door. Don walked to her. "What is your hurry?" He asked.

"I just got information for you. Ron told me that her inhaler interacted with a medicine she was already taking. It mimicked the symptoms, but that was why she lived. Hers was a drug problem, not a person being poisoned by a drug in another drug." She said.

Colby looked up at the board. "And if we take her out of the equation then all the others line up heading strait to Sibley. I don't think he is coming back."

"Yeah, looks like he wants to find McHugh." David said.

"Is she okay?" Don asked knowing the woman was his wife's best friend.

"Yeah. Looks like she will be." She nodded.

NUMB3RS

Megan and Don watched the news footage from the barricaded McHugh. On the day before McHugh shot the federal officer, a news team got in a camera phone. McHugh denied the claims and pointed out that he had eaten his beef his whole life and he was fine.

Then within hours he shot the negotiator and when the fire fight erupted he managed to get out into the woods and on the run.

David and Colby find that Mark Brott hit four for four of the pharmacies.

NUMB3RS

Don came home with many maps. He went into the garage to plan out a search grid. Espa sat with a cup of hot tea watching him as she sat, legs folded like a butterfly with her elbows braced against them.

Alan and Charlie came home and they discussed the area. Charlie points out that McHugh had to have crossed his paths more than once. Don is trying to work out and help Edgerton, the Bureau's best tracker.

Charlie decides that he will go to and help Don out mathematically. Plus it is pretty. The TAs can do the work naturally. Espa is not amused by that, having been a TA in her life for professors who did that.

Espa points out she is going too to keep the boys in line and to get away from housework for a couple of days. She was the only one in the family with outdoor smarts and training from working ski patrols and such. Don agrees as does Alan who is very willing to watch the baby when there is a fridge full of breast milk and the ability to take her where he wants if he has to leave. She loved car rides and they always put her to sleep.

(1)

NUMB3RS

Morning came bright and early for the three Eppes'. Espa was the first up. She packed for herself. Don was expecting a suitcase, but she had a backpack. She also wore a pair of khaki cargo pants. They were from her Archaeology days. She put on two layered tank tops and put her hair in a twin braids and folded them back behind her head making a large almost peacock tail along the back of her head making it so it was not in her way and ready for action.

The boys were in long sleeve t-shirts and light jackets, which amused her. What amused her more was the fact they all were wearing the same pants.

They drove the two hours up to Sibley.

"So, who is this Edgerton guy?" Espa asked as they neared the town

"Best damn shot I have seen." Don said. "He is a sniper instructor for the Bureau, their best tracker, and he can take whatever cases he wants now."

"Ah…to have talent and done my time in the army." She said.

"Now I know you have a gun permit and you are packing." Don said as they drove by some houses just outside the town proper. "Don't take it out unless you are under threat or I tell you to."

"You got it." She said. "If a cougar attacks me I am not waiting for your permission to kill it."

"That's fair." He said. His phone rang as they pulled into the only diner in town.

"So, remember the McHugh interview?" Megan said on the speaker phone. "The part where he said he gave all the infected cattle their required antibiotics? Guess who made those antibiotics?"

"Our friends at Graybridge?" Don asked as the three of them jumped out of the suburban. Espa had been sitting in front because unless driving on windy roads or sleeping she would get carsick if she could not see out.

"So what if McHugh was telling the truth?" Megan asked. "What is he didn't know the beef was contaminated because he didn't know the antibiotics he was giving them were defective?"

""I mean, that would explain what Brott wants right?" Don said. "I mean, to him, McHugh's just, uh, another weapon against Graybridge. Look, why don't you just follow that direction. I'll talk to you later." He said and hung up.

Espa looked about at the mountains. She took a deep breath and sighed. Oh, how she missed the wilds of Idaho. It was still early and cool and she felt at home. She stretched revealing her toned midriff as she turned to see a Native American walking out from the diner wearing military issue camo gear.

She smiled as did Charlie and Don.

"Professor and Agent Eppes." The man said taking the men's hands with a smile. "How can I not learn something today?" He asked teasingly. "And we have another agent here today?" He asked. "Though she is not packing a gun."

Espa smiled at him. Don nodded back to her as she came forward to take the new man's hand. "Agent Ian Edgerton, Esperanza Eppes. My wife. Espa, Ian Edgerton."

"I had wondered when I would finally meet you. He mentioned you the last time I was in the area." Edgerton said smiling at her. "You are as beautiful as Don said you were. More so. I like a girl who looks pretty, but can still kick my ass if she wanted to."

Espa smiled at him and chuckled. "The pleasure is all mine, Agent Edgerton."

"Call me Agent and I will call you Mrs. Eppes. My name is Ian." Edgerton corrected.

"My friends call me Espa. And any friend of Don and Charlie is a friend of mine." She smiled warmly. Don noticed. Normally, Espa resisted a strange man's charms and flirting with her like granite, unless she started it, but in this case she looked like she was comfortable, perhaps because he was a friend and an agent.

"She is a professor too." Charlie said trying to be helpful.

"It is fine Charlie." She said to him.

"What can I do for you three?" Edgerton asked. "I was on my way out."

"Well, actually, we were hoping to sit in your classroom, if that's all right." Don said.

"Absolutely." Edgerton nodded. "Let me get you up to speed. Coffee?" He asked as he grabbed a table for them.

"Oh, I have missed it." She said. "Sure."

"Missed it?" Edgerton asked.

"Yeah, when you have a baby certain smells make you ill and then you can't go back when it smells good because of the baby nursing." She said.

Edgerton looked her up and down. She sdid not look like a new breast feeding mother. She looked like a lady from an infomercial selling an ab-toner. "So where is the little thing anyway?"

"She is with her grandfather. Hence I can drink coffee without feeling guilty." She smiled. "I just can not save what I pump for the next few hours."

Edgerton eyed her. "Indeed."

"Are you married Ian?" She asked boldly

"No." He said. "In my line of work it is hard to keep a spouse."

"Good man. Have many lovers. It is the way to be." She smiled and shot Don a look. "Settling down is for…"

"Hey, a little professionalism here, please." Don said lying a hand on her shoulder. He was not sure he liked his wife befriending Edgerton and he befriending her. Then again if she was comfortable Charlie would be as well.

Espa dropped down into a seat. Don sat next to her and relaxed his hand ideally resting on her thigh. Edgerton told them what he had been up to and what his plan was as the group ate Danishes and drank coffee. Then the talk dissolved into pleasantries as Ian again struck up a conversation with the now quiet Espa who had been listening and watching.

Edgerton turned to look at her. "You know I would have thought he would have married someone who did not just sit and people watch all the time."

"I speak when I feel I need to." Espa smiled. "You boys were talking shop. What need do you have for a woman in that?"

"Don told me you were from Idaho. You are likely to know more about tracking than these two city kids." Edgerton said. He stood up and slung his sniper rifle behind his back. Then he picked up an M-16 and held it in front. She arched an eyebrow. She rose and stretched back. Charlie winced hearing her back pop.

Don pulled on a jacket as did Charlie. Espa laughed a little at them and shook her head. She was wearing her layered tank tops and she left her arms bare. They started out into the trees. Espa walked to the side looking about on the trail. Her footfalls were light. Edgerton noted she was wearing moccasins on her feet that were soundless and left little prints in the earth. The shoe of a Native American hunter. Don and Charlie followed watching about. It was clear they were tourists out in the woods not someone at home in the trees with the chirping birds.

"So what do you hunt?" Edgerton asked over his shoulder.

"I hunted in Idaho with my uncle. I bow hunt." She said.

"Ah, that explains your shoes." Edgerton smiled. "What part are you from in Idaho?" He asked.

"You miss little Ian." She said pausing to look at his back. "I was raised in American Falls, but lived some in Boise." She smiled. "I gotted my edu-car-ation dere." She smirked.

"It has taken a while to learn." He said casting a look back at her. He smirked. "Well, it explains how you are so at home in trees."

She then disappeared and Don looked about. "Espa?"

Edgerton smiled. "She's up the tree next to you." He said. "She's done hunting tracking. Waits for her prey instead of chasing it."

Don froze and looked up. Espa was sitting on a branch above his head as she looked about. He shook his head as she jumped and landed with her knees bent, but she looked perfectly at ease as she straightened. She smiled at her husband.

He eyed her. "Remind me again why I let you come along instead of being with our baby?"

"'Cause I might help." She smiled sweetly. She walked forward and tousled Charlie's hair as she walked by to follow Edgerton. "Though I would follow him through hell since he can find a way." She said over her shoulder.

Edgerton came to an old tree. "What about that?" He said.

"Broken branch." She nodded. She looked about.

"What?" Charlie asked.

"Broken branch like she said." Edgerton nodded. He touched it. "Not from an animal. Someone sat here on this tree." He watched Espa join him as she jumped lightly onto a branch and perched someone cat like on it as she looked down.

"What, you think it was McHugh?" Don asked taking a step toward Espa and Charlie.

"No." She shook her head. "Footprint is too light." She said.

"No." Edgerton agreed. "It was a woman wearing a size-six sneaker. McHugh got a big foot and an even bigger boot." He said. He looked at Espa and smiled. He looked back at Don coming to his wife. "Yeah. She stopped and had lunch here probably less than an hour ago."

"And you know that how?" Charlie asked.

"She didn't like her PB and J." Edgerton smiled. "The ants haven't found it yet." He went over the log passing over the sandwich. Espa followed him moving on the tree light and elf like.

Don followed her. He caught her arm and pulled her back as Charlie went over. Don kissed her and looked down at her. "Just be careful. I do not want to carry you out of here."

"Don't worry. I am strong enough to carry you if I need to." She smiled and patted his cheek playfully as she walked on.

About a half mile up a road Edgerton knelt down looking at the earth. "What do you got?" Don asked.

"It's a pretty old print, but I'd like to see where it takes us." Edgerton said. He looked at Espa. "See the size. That is what we are looking for." She nodded. He sighed as he saw a razor wire fence come into view. "We'll have to backtrack, cross the river to pick it up again."

I mean, well, we can just cut through this dump, can't we?" Charlie asked.

Espa was standing to the side looking at the three men. She was looking at something in a hole.

"You see these tracks, how the kind of stop and start like someone was riding the brakes?" Edgerton said. "The National Guard came through here at night with their headlights off."

"They do maneuvers out here." Don nodded.

"If they go home with unused ammo, their allotment gets reduced." Edgerton said. "So they sneak over here and they ditch the excess munitions. There's all kinds of explosives in there. With you, Professor Eppes, and Espa, I am not going to lead you through there. You don't want to try to go hiking through that."

"Well, you think that's what he's after?" Don asked as Espa returned to them.

"No. No, there's no sign of that." Edgerton said. "Probably just looking for something edible or on his way back into Sibley."

Don pulled out his field glasses and walked to the fence to look in the dump for signs of life.

"I'm curious, when you lose him, what methodology might you employ to pick him up again?" Charlie asked Edgerton as Espa started walking back the way they had come.

"Start where he broke trail, a stream, series of flat rocks, and then circle around till I find fresh sign." Edgerton said looking at him.

"So you, you lose time, pretty much duplicating your work while McHugh's gaining time." Charlie said.

"Kind of explains why we're all still out here, huh?" Edgerton said as he turned around to follow Espa's retreating form. Charlie went with him. Don followed after staying a moment longer to watch.

NUMB3RS

David and Colby watched Brott go into the pharmacies on videotape and also noticed Yardley was following him into each place. They then started comparing the other tapes. After finding what they had found they had Megan look.

NUMB3RS

Espa changed into a pair of sweatpants and a sports bra for bed. She laid on the floor doing crunches while Don set about looking at paperwork. When she was done he smiled. He pushed her back onto the bed and followed her down. He kissed her playfully. "A promise until later." He told her.

She smiled and reached for his phone. She called Alan to see how Zephyr was. She was sleeping Alan reported and Gretchen was happily curled on Alan's bed. Espa reported this to Don who smiled and shook his head. His children with their grandfather about their small paws.

He moved to go out and she followed him down a door to Charlie's room. He opened the door as he sighed. "So?" He asked his brother.

Espa walked in behind him and flopped on the free twin bad. Don removed his jacket and tossed it at her playfully.

"I've just about isolated all the trails that McHugh could have access to." Charlie said sticking last picture on the wall.

Don walked over to him. "Charlie, did you actually put pins in the wall?"

"Hmm? Yeah. Well, tape didn't work you know?"

"What's with you man?" Don asked him.

"Look, I can't tape…"

"Well, I mean, they find holes, it's gonna go on my expense report." Don said in frustration. His cell rang. "Shut up Espa." He growled at her when he saw her smirking as she looked at a book in Charlie's backpack.

"I tries sticking it in there…"

"I don't get you sometimes." Don said with a sigh. He flipped open his phone. "Eppes."

"We got Yardley following Brott into the first pharmacy. He watches him go in. then goes in himself and asks about Brott." Megan's voice could be heard on the phone.

"So Graybridge was having Brott followed." Don said sitting down on the bed beside Espa's feet. Charlie turned and looked at him from the desk.

"That means once the first victim got struck, they had to be aware it was tampering." Megan said.

"And didn't say word one to us." Don said touching his wife's sandaled foot gently.

"No. Instead, they put Yardley on Brott's trail." Megan said. "We could pick up Brindell at Graybridge right now."

"No, no." Don said looking at his watch. "I…I think it's better to wait, you know? Let 'em not know exactly what we're up to."

Espa sat up hearing a car door open and shut. She opened the door and looked out. She nodded to the park ranger who was about to knock on her and Don's door. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Agent Eppes."

"This way." Espa said.

"Your call." Megan said. "We got a warrant for Brott's computer, we're going over it right now."

"Good." There was a knock at the door. Espa opened the door and nodded to the woman behind her. "I got to go. Let me know what you find." Don said as he stood up and looked at the ranger.

"Okay." Megan said before he shut his phone.

"Hey." Don nodded.

"Sir, park rangers found a body about three miles out of town. Description fits Mark Brott, the guy you're looking for." The woman said.

Charlie and Espa listened. "Yeah? You got a cause of death?" Don asked.

"Appears to have fallen about forty feet into a creek bed. The ME will have a preliminary for you in the morning." The ranger said.

"All right, good, officer. Thanks. Good night." Don said.

"Good night." She said as she turned to go.

Don shut the door. "So, Brott's dead."

"You think he fell?" Charlie asked standing up.

"Or was pushed." Don said.

"I am betting pushed." Espa said. "This case keeps getting weirder and weirder."

"Yeah, I mean, Graybridge was having him followed." Don said. "You know, they got motive for wanting him dead. I'm gonna try to catch some Z's, all right?" He nodded to his wife. "You should too." He told his brother "Come on wild child." He said.

"Yeah." Charlie said.

She rolled her eyes and walked out and down to their room. Don followed her in and smiled as she laid down. "What time are we getting up?"

"Early. Like four-thirty or five."

"I thought you meant early." She smiled sweetly at him. "Your daughter wakes me up about then."

"Ha, ha. I feed her more in the night than you do."

"And I am grateful."

"You know, normally I would not have let you come with me." Don said looking at her as he locked the door and set his service weapon next to her Jericho on the desk with his cuffs, keys, and wallet.

"And why did you?" She asked.

"'Cause I could not bear the though of sleeping alone." He smiled at her as he pulled off his shirt. He ducked as she threw a pillow at him. "Hey now!" He grabbed her ankle bones and leaned down over her to kiss her. "Besides…why have a wet dream when I can have the real thing." He bent and kissed her midriff.

Unknown to any of them Yardley was outside the hotel watching the activities in the rooms waiting for quiet.

NUMB3RS

Espa was up at four. She packed a backpack for herself and put her hair in a loose ponytail. She told her husband she was going across the road to sit and have a bagel with cream cheese and watch the sunset while he, Charlie, and Edgerton talked shop in the café drinking their morning coffee.

Megan talked to Don that Brott contacted his superiors that saying the antiboltic was bad and they sold it anyway. Also the defective antibiotic would be detectable in anyone who had consumed a thing with it in it. Brott and Graybridge want McHugh's blood, literally.

Charlie gave a lecture about soap bubbles and Steiner trees to find where McHugh has been to help in the search. It is found that he keeps returning to his family ranch.

NUMB3RS

Don rounded up his wife from where she sat on a pinnacle of rock watching the day begin. She walked to his car and nodded to Charlie and Edgerton. Edgerton opened the door for her and she smiled and hoped in the front. He and Charlie climbed in the back allowing Don to drive as Edgerton gave directions to McHugh's ranch.

"You know if you are planning to talk to the wife maybe I should do it." She said.

"No." Don said. "If he is there I am not going to have you taken hostage. With the three of us men there he will not be able to take us, but you are staying in the car until I give the all clear."

"But…"

"Esperanza…" Don said lowly in warning. "When we get done we will have you wander with us. Besides someone needs to watch the car and the guns." He smiled.

She nodded.

They drove up and the three men got out and went to the door. Edgerton and Don had their service weapons only for now. Mrs. McHugh answered the door. She was not amused that there were there to talk. She did not answer them side stepping their questions until she slammed the door on them.

Don sighed and then turned back and nodded to Espa to come out. She hopped out and sighed. Don easily read the I told you so look on her face. "Not a word. I know, you were right…" He said.

"Well, you were right, he's been here." Edgerton said.

"Yeah." Charlie said.

Edgerton looked at Espa as she looked about in the trees. "What say you Miss Idaho?" He asked smiling at her.

"I think he has been here today." She said.

"Oh?" Charlie asked

"Feeling I have." She shrugged.

"He's taking a big chance." Charlie said.

"He's had this place his whole life." Edgerton said. "It's hard to just walk away."

"Look, let's run this down." Don said taking out a paper he had drawn. He walked out from the house. "I mean, the marshals come to arrest him, he barricades himself inside the house. Now, four days later, in the middle of a negotiation, for no apparent reason, he opens fire."

Edgerton turned to look at him. "When did crazy stop being a reason?"

"The negotiator catches one in the neck, like right around here." Don said taking a few more steps away from the house. Espa was leaning against a wagon wheel letting her husband work.

"The assault team went in the front and side doors. McHugh went out that side window and makes it to the tree line there." Edgerton pointed.

Charlie watched as well.

Don looked down at the paper and back up at the house. Espa watched him unsure what he was looking at. "Don?"

"What's that?" Don pointed at the front corner of the house. "Look at that. That's a shot." He said walked toward it.

The other three followed him to get a closer look. Edgerton sighed. "Exit pattern from a large bore rifle round."

"Yeah, but look at the angle. I mean, there's no way it came from inside." Don said.

"Which is where McHugh was." Charlie said.

"Is that telling us what I think it is?" Espa asked the men.

"Where do you think this came from?" Don asked.

"Judging from the angle…" Edgerton said.

"Allowing for prevailing winds…" Charlie added.

"There." The both pointed up the hill behind the house. Espa and Don looked and then looked at each other.

Edgerton gave Don the M-16 while packed up his sniper rifle to the spot. They hiked up. Don had the M-16 slung behind him as his wife and Charlie stood watching the two agents work.

"SWAT sniper would've been on the other side facing the house." Edgerton said. "This lie…" He sighed as he looked through his sniper scope. "Faces the raid team."

"That's a perfect position to take out the negotiator." Don said. Edgerton nodded.

"So the suggestion you're making is that a second gunman shot the marshal." Charlie said.

"Yeah, Charlie think about it. I mean, McHugh is living proof that Graybridge sold bad drugs." Don said. "The last thing they want is him alive."

"Day three of the siege, he's looking like he's gonna surrender, someone shoots the negotiator…" Edgerton said looking through his gun. He pulled the trigger, but it just clicked since it was not loaded. "And gets the party started."

"They're figuring he's gonna go down in the gunfight." Don nodded.

"But he didn't." Espa said nodding.

"Instead, chaos ensues, he slips away." Charlie said.

Edgerton looked about. "That, uh, soap film of yours runs through the hill up here, doesn't it?" He waved up the hill behind them.

"There? More or less?" Charlie said.

"Why don't you two get back to the hotel." Don said taking out his keys and giving then to Charlie.

Espa was already turning. "Okay, but why?" Charlie asked.

"Fresh sign. One maybe two hours." Edgerton said behind them.

"That's why." Don said and reached for his wife. "Take care of both of you." He said and pressed and chaste kiss to her mouth. She drew her Jericho from behind her where she had it tucked in her pants' pocket under her t-shirt. She clicked off the safety and cocked it pointing it down as she nodded to Charlie to go.

Don nodded to her as she moved down looking around the forest for trouble. He brought the gun up in his hands and nodded to the surprised Edgerton. "Crest one to Crest two." Don said into his radio.

"Copy, One, go ahead." A voice said.

"You did not tell me she was armed." Edgerton said to him.

"She'll keep Charlie safe." Don said as they went up into the hills together. "On the trail of the fugitive over." Don said into the radio.

"Roger that." The man said

"You're a very trusting husband." Edgerton said softly as they moved together.

"Well, I think she sees it as she trusts you to keep me safe." Don smiled.

NUMB3RS

Don and Edgerton found McHugh sitting having lunch about a half mile away. Edgerton found Yardley also taking aim. When Yardley refused to drop his rifle, Edgerton shot him. The gun being fired spooked McHugh before Don could reach him. Don chased him, but McHugh climbed into the dump to hide.

Don and Edgerton called for back up. McHugh held a torch to drop would they try anything. Don decides to back it up. As they do Charlie and Espa came into view.

"What are you two doing here?" He asked them. Espa smiled and nodded back to Megan behind her.

"Hi. I picked them up in Sibley. I needed someone that knew the way." Megan said.

"You needed both of them?" Don asked.

"Charlie insisted." Espa shrugged.

"I'm Agent Reeves." Megan said taking Edgerton's hand.

"Edgerton." Edgerton nodded holding his sniper rifle.

Espa smiled and noted her husband was chewing gum as he said he normally did while out ready to take someone down.

"You're not going to believe this. He's actually sitting on a National Guard munitions dump." Don said. "He's threatening to blow it up."

"Well, you don't want to kill him." Charlie said stating the obvious.

"Charlie, we realize that. I mean, he's not giving us a lot of options here." Don said.

Espa looked at her husband knowing he and Edgerton were in full battle mode. All she could do was watch as a civilian.

"There's, uh, there's a whole mathematical discipline called negotiation theory." Charlie said squatting down. He picked up a stick and started to draw in the dirt. "A good negotiation creates a framework for agreement that allows both parties to make mistakes and still come out ahead."

"Yeah, we give him something to strengthen his position without weakening ours, but what do we have to give him." Megan asked looking at Don.

"Information." Don said. "We could tell him what we know."

"Isn't that like showing all your cards before the bets are in?" Edgerton asked.

"It's counterintuitive, I know, but here's the math." Charlie said pointing to the dirt.

"Does this makes sense to any of you?" Edgerton asked.

"Only that he's probably right." Don shrugged.

Megan straitened and looked at Espa. She nodded to her and Espa followed her to the truck.

"Whoa, whoa, h…h…hold on. What are you doing?" Don asked straitening as Megan removed her coat and threw it into the back of the truck. She reached for a flack jacket. Espa started to help her put it on.

"I'm a woman." Megan said. "To a mountain man like McHugh, I'm less of a threat."

"Well. She's got a point." Edgerton nodded watching the women together.

"She could also kick his ass, but he doesn't know that." Don said watching. "Either of them could."

Espa pulled the straps for Megan as the two both looked at each other and laughed.

"I see what kind of big brother he was." Megan said as she looked at Charlie as Don slung the rifle behind him to help the two. Charlie nodded.

"Yeah, try being married to him." Espa said as she stood back to let Don finish. HE gave her a look.

"All right." He said taking Megan's gun. "Espa, you and Charlie go back to that Sheriff car until I give the all clear."

Edgerton ran up the hill to have a shot.

Megan spoke to McHugh who was at first not really wanting to listen, but then Megan finally got him to come with her to see his wife. He gave up his gun and torch and they walked back.

Don nodded taking the gun. "Good job."

"Thanks." Megan said. "You too."

Espa smiled as she and Charlie leaned against the back of the SUV. Don started to unload McHugh's gun as Edgerton came down the hill. He smiled at the three Eppes' there.

"I have the best time with you guys." He smiled.

The three smiled at him and chuckled.

Espa stepped forward and took his arm. "I am dancing tonight. You should come before you run away. Good food." She smiled.

"Oh?" He asked. "Sounds like fun." He smiled at her. "Want a ride back to town Mrs. Eppes?" He asked nodding to his Escalade.

She chuckled and looped her arm in his. "Thank you Agent Edgerton." She grinned playfully back at her husband who just rolled his eyes.

NUMB3RS

Espa smiled as Alan, Don, Charlie, and Zephyr came into the restaurant. Susanne's family and Edgerton were already there, the men drinking beer at the large table and talking pleasantries.

Becky and Jenny, Susanne's daughters, were sitting by their father. Born Miriam and Karima, the two looked older and a lot more sure of themselves.

They stood up and went to Alan who was holding Zephyr. They cooed to her and Miriam lifted her in her arms when Alan yielded her. Don smiled as he set the car seat down on a chair.

Becky smiled at Don. "Hello Don Eppes." She said slowly. "It is good to see you again."

He looked at her as he removed his coat. "It is good to see you again." He smiled. "Your English is greatly improved." He smiled and patted her shoulder. She smiled and went and went to her sister and the baby.

Espa smiled. "Girls. Let me see Zephyr a moment." She said. They nodded and She picked the awake and cooing baby in her arms. The baby reached for her hair and she smiled and moved her head away. She faced her out against her hip and went to Edgerton.

Edgerton smiled and looked at her. He made a face and Zephyr laughed reaching for him. Don and Charlie smirked as he lifted his hand and the baby grabbed his finger with a surprisingly strong grip.

Edgerton smiled extracting his hand and chuckled. "Ah, poor thing, she's as ugly as her father." He smirked playfully at Espa and got a playful slap on his shoulder for it as well as a look from Don.

Susanne smiled and nodded to Espa. Espa gave Zephyr to the girls and went behind the curtain behind the stage. The family ordered food as the restaurant began to fill with people.

The first song started and Susanne came out in a outfit of green and danced on the stage. People clapped with the song beat and then clapped for her at the end. When her song was done Espa came out in an outfit of red and gold. She carried in her palms a long Ottoman sword. Susanne held a cloth. Espa cut threw it with a slice of the blade to show it was sharp.

Then she smiled and put it on her head. She went threw a fast paced song moving with it and dancing with the sharp blade with ease. It was truly an art. At the end She had dropped to the floor and there was applause. Edgerton looked at Don who smiled and nodded.

Espa and Susanne danced several dances together. Then their final dance came about twenty minutes later before the food was coming out. The moved together like two halves of the same person. Then the jumped off the stage and went to their husband.

Susanne's husband shrugged and went up to the stage with his wife. Don looked at his wife who pulled on him. She smiled when he finally went to much applause at the table. She pulled him onto the stage and danced. She playfully held his hips and moved them with her. When she stepped in front of him he took a hold of her hips and moved with her awkwardly.

She laughed and they both smirked at Susanne's husband who was not a good dancer at all. Don at least could follow the beat. When the song ended Espa did the splits before her husband holding his hands.

She then had him help her back up. He then grabbed her and dipped her as she moved to go away. He kissed her deeply to much whistles and cheering from the crowd. Espa then got free to grab the microphone from the floor.

"Good evening. Welcome to Pompeii's Pillar Greek Restaurant. I hope you are enjoying the food tonight. Well, if you can not tell I, with my partner in crime are your entertainment for this evening. I am Saf-fire and she is Noor." Espa smiled. "These lovely men up here are our husbands. Yes for those of you in the back, yes I saw you." She pointed and there was laughter. "I am taken and I have a baby. She is right down there. Hi Zephyr." She waved. "We are going to eat now, but will do a finale before the night is out. So tell me what you think of the food here."

There was an amazing amount of cheering.

"Great. Well, I look forward to it."

Don smiled as she took his hand and walked down to the table to sit down as the food was served. She sat between Charlie and Don. Edgerton faced her.

He was smiling at her. "Don failed to tell me about your, uh, many talents." He smiled and took a drink from his beer. "I thought dancing…as in Greek folk dancing, not giving half the room hard-ons."

Espa laughed. "I enjoy it and as you can see I do not look like I had a baby." She smiled. "It is good for me."

"Yes." Don nodded as they all dug into the food and conversation about the night.


	26. Harvest

**Harvest**

90,582

Waiting list 

$75,000

Brokerage fee 

8,977

Miles from home 

2

Sisters

"In looking around this auditorium tonight, I am reminded of a comment Sir Isaac Newton made to the Royal Academy of Science. Newton told the group that doing math was like standing on the shoulder of giants to see the future. But then, of course, in Newton's age, uh, all the men wore shoes with buckles and four-inch heels…"

The audience rippled with laughter. Charlie Eppes, Esperanza Eppes, Larry Fleinhardt, Amita Ramanujan, and Alan Eppes were all sitting listening in the auditorium for the 85th Annual Milton Prize presentation. Espa had put herself between the two technical professors to explain what was going on. She smoothed her dress as she watched the director speaking. She would have normally been at home for a quiet evening in with her husband, but he had been called out to run down tips for Homeland Security.

"Each year, we conclude this symposium by announcing the Milton Prize." The director said. "And Professor Charles Eppes, a past winner, will present this year's award."

Charlie smiled and walked up to the front of the room to the podium. Everyone clapped for him as he made his way to the front.

"I didn't know Charlie won a Milton Prize." Alan said to the group.

"Well, he was still at Princeton. It's an award…" Amita started as Espa leaned in to listen, but Larry hushed them and leaned Espa back in her seat.

"This is important." He said pointing.

"Sorry." Alan said.

"It is a great honor to present the Milton Prize, this year in particular, because I happen to know the winner. To me, this person has become much more than a colleague. We have collaborated closely together on a number of projects. So without any further ado, the winner of this year's Milton Prize is Amita Ramanujan." Charlie said holding up a framed plaque as her name came up on the screen.

Espa smiled and clapped as did everyone in the audience. Espa could tell by Larry's smirk that he had known. Amita looked shocked as she looked about a moment as if she thought it was a different person who won.

"Amita it's you!" Alan said.

She made her way to the front. Charlie kissed her cheek and gave her the prize. She was stunned as she looked about. "Thank you all so much. I can't believe it. Thank you." She smiled and stepped down. She then had many people coming to shake her hand. Espa and Alan waited with Charlie and Larry for her to wade through the throng to get up to them.

NUMB3RS

Don Eppes and David Sinclair jumped out of Don's suburban at a hotel. It was a Friday night and Don could think of about three other places he would have rather been right then, than walking with David in the middle of downtown going after tips.

"What, you got something else you want to do tonight?" Don asked as he got out.

"It's Friday night, we're running down anonymous tips." David said walking to him "And you're married." He pointed out.

"Well, it was a call to Homeland Security actually." Don said. "There's something going on in a basement here." He smirked. "And yes I am married, and I would much rather be exercising in other ways besides walking around, if you know what I mean."

David just smirked. "It's the garment district."

"Yeah?"

"I'm thinking someone with a sweatshop wants help putting the competition out of business."

"Well, maybe we can oblige them." Don said

"Gentlemen." A hotel clerk said as they walked in.

"Yeah. Hey." Don nodded. He pulled out his shield and ID. "You with the hotel?"

"If this about your luggage, we're doing everything we can to find it." The man said. Then he looked at Don's ID.

"It's not about our luggage." Don said.

"You're not with the convention group?" The man asked.

"That's right." Don nodded and tucked it back in his pocket.

"We received a tip about suspicious activity in your basement." David said.

"Suspicious…W…w…what does that mean?" The man asked.

"It means you show us the basement." Don said cocking his head and smirking a little.

"Right this way, sir." The man said leading the way.

Don and David followed him down into the bowels of the hotel.

"So, this is it." The man said. "Careful, the floor is, uh, the floor's a little uneven."

"Mmm-mm." Don looked about. "What's in there?" Don asked seeing a hallway through an iron barred gate.

"Uh, just, uh, some more rooms. Just…" The man lifted a hand.

"Let's go." Don said directing him.

"Okay." The clerk nodded. He opened the door and they walked down the hall looking about.

They walked by some machinery that was humming. "Seems pretty quiet." David said. "If the Health Department was down here, they'd condemn the place."

"Yeah?" Don smirked. "I don't think the Health Department's ever been down here." He said looking about at the walls. They came into another room. Don saw a closed door. "What's in there?"

"Uh…" The clerk stammered. "Storage, I think. Never been inside."

"Why don't you open it?" Don nodded to him.

The man opened the door with his key and Don pulled out his flashlight from his pocket to look about as did David. Their flashlights came onto a car battery, bed, overturned chair, ice, and blood everywhere.

"Whoa!" The clerk gasped.

"Against the wall." David ordered the clerk raising his gun and aiming at him. "Where are the lights?" He asked as Don looked about more.

"Right there." The clerk stammered.

"Turn them on." David said. The man did. "Hands behind your back."

"I didn't…" The man stammered again.

"Behind your back let's go." David said.

David cuffed him and Don sighed. He put away the flashlight in his pocket and then lifted his phone up to talk to dispatch on his Nextel walkie-talkie. He held his gun in his other hand. "Yeah, we got a lot of blood down here. We got a whole scene. I want backup. Requesting backup, immediately."

"Copy that." The dispatcher said.

"It's freezing in here." David said joining him when the clerk was secure.

"You see this car battery?" Don asked.

"Yeah." David nodded. "What the hell happened down here?"

"looks like some kind of nightmare." Don said looking about. There was a rustling to the left. Don froze listening. "Hey, you here that?" A door creaked open and then slammed shut.

Don and David grabbed their flashlights again and burst through the door. They looked about and followed the noise. "This way." David said nodding down the hall.

"This is the FBI!" Don called out. "We need you to come out with your hands where we can see them!" He called out again as they walked. "This is the FBI!" He said again as they came to a door.

They slammed open the door. Their flashlights came onto a girl cowering in a corner. She was terrified and tried to crawl away from them. She was sobbing.

Don put up his gun and spread his hands softly. "Hey." He said gently coming around the chain gate to squat down near her. "Okay, all right, all right, take it easy." He said gently as if he were talking to his daughter. "We're with the FBI. You're okay, huh. It's okay. We're with the FBI, sweetheart. I'm not…I'm not going to hurt you. It's okay." He said gently reaching to touch her shoulder. He crooned to her over and over it was all right and they were not going to hurt her as she tried to get away from him.

"We need and ambulance. Hotel Barclay, downtown LA." David said into his phone as he stood behind.

NUMB3RS

Don went with the girl to the hospital while David worked on the scene. When she was found to be fit Don brought the Jane Doe to the office. She stared strait ahead and would not look at anyone.

Megan tried to get her to talk, but nothing worked. She sighed and left her in room one as she walked to the others.

"It you know what you're doing, you can do a lot of damage with a car battery." Colby said looking at the crime scene shots.

"Is that a professional opinion?" David asked.

"You see some things working military CID in Afghanistan." Colby sighed. "Things you rather not see."

"You really think this is about torture?" David asked.

"That would explain the girl." Megan said. "She's been traumatized by something. I can't get through to her."

"Yeah, begs the question what it is she knows." Colby said.

"And who else wants to know it." David said.

Don walked in. "Hey, guys, I…I just got off the phone to Washington. They want us wall-to-wall on this. So I think you should get back to that hotel, see if you can find anyone who saw anything. I mean, it's a big place. There's a lot of people coming in and out of there." David and Colby moved to go. Don went to his desk and looked up at Megan as he dropped into a seat. "Megan, how's the girl?"

"Acute stress disorder. Showing signs of avoidance." Megan said. "I'm nowhere with her."

"Any idea where she's from?" Don asked.

"Right now, I have her listed as a foreign national, unknown circumstance."

"What about this car battery? I mean, what do you make of it?"

"Well, that would explain why she's not even making eye contact with me." Megan said looking back at her with a sigh.

"All right, so what do we do?" Don asked her. He looked up at her a hand on his brow as he rubbed it gently. "I mean, how do we reach her?"

Espa, Charlie, and Amita stepped off the elevator on the sixth floor of the FBI building. Charlie was excitedly fluttering before the two women. Amita sighed. "Charlie, Don's probably busy right now." She said attaching her badge. "We can just tell him tomorrow."

Espa smiled. "Come now. He will be happy for you and I need to see him." She smiled.

"We're not gonna be long." Charlie protested. "You know what? He's going to be so happy that you won."

Espa patted Amita's shoulder reassuringly as Charlie walked ahead of them. Suddenly a girl started speaking in a foreign language as she pressed up against the glass. Amita froze listening. Espa stood with her watching. Amita shook her head and then moved to follow Charlie. Espa looked at the girl whose eyes fell and she walked back to her chair sad.

"Whoa, look at you." Don said looking up at his brother. "Whoa, look at all you." He smiled seeing Amita and his wife behind. Espa looked beautiful in her black and green dress she had just bought a couple of days ago. Her hair he noticed was in an up do with ringlets down the sides of her face framing it.

"What's going on?" Charlie asked.

"Hi." Amita said.

"Hey. What's up? What are you doing?" Don asked reaching a hand to his wife. She took it so he could pull her down for a quick kiss. "How are you?" He whispered.

She smiled and gave him another kiss for good measure.

"We have dinner reservations nearby, so we just thought we'd stop by and say hello, that's all." Charlie said.

Espa leaned against the desk. Her husband touched her leg looking at the shimmer a little. "Is it a special occasion?" Megan asked smiling.

Don was thankful Charlie was allowing his wife as much time as she could have from the baby. He was sure since Alan was not there, that the grandfather had gone home and collected the baby.

"Amita, just won the Milton Prize for her dissertation." Charlie said. He rubbed her arm gently as he smiled at her. "Okay, that…that's a really big honor and it comes with a cash award, so…"

"That's great." Megan smiled.

"So, I guess, you're paying for dinner, huh?" Don asked playfully as his wife playfully swatted at him. "Congratulations." He smiled.

"Thank you." Amita said blushing. "I wasn't expecting it."

"No?" Don asked.

"Hmm. What happened here?" Charlie asked seeing the photos.

Don turned licking his lips a little. "Yeah, well, that's the 64,000 dollar question."

"You think that ice has anything to do with it?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, something, I mean, why?" Don asked his younger brother.

"Well, if I can take two of these photos, I can probably tell you how long the ice has been there." Charlie said.

"Yeah, I mean, that'll at least give us a starting point." Don said looking at Megan and then his brother.

"Yeah." Megan agreed.

"Uh, see this plastic?" Charlie said pointing. He lifted the picture up. "This plastic is a non-wetting surface. So I can do an interval analysis of the pooled water that would tell…"

"That would help us determine the rate of flow." Amita said.

"Right. From there, we can work backwards to determine when the ice started to melt." Charlie said.

"Well, how long would that take?" Don asked.

"Depends, you know." Charlie shrugged. "The tricky part is figuring out how fast the ice was melting. But once we know that, we can determine how long it took the puddle to grow, which is the result of two competing forces, the melting and the surface tension." He said.

Espa looked at Don and Megan. She shrugged ready for a math lecture as they all were.

"Surface tension?" Megan asked looking at the picture.

"Molecules on the surface of the water exhibit strong cohesive properties." Charlie said.

"It's why certain bugs can run over the top of a pond or why raindrops are round." Amita said.

"Ah…so why you can over fill a glass and not spill." Espa said.

"Exactly." Amita nodded.

"It's like a balloon." Charlie said. "The rubber surface of a balloon acts much like a puddle does. It constrains what's inside. So as air flows into a balloon, it gets bigger. Well, how fast the balloon grows depends on the rate of air going into the balloon versus the strength of the balloon's surface. The same thing goes for a puddle. As more water flows into a puddle, it gets bigger. But the surface tension constrains the shape of the puddle."

"All right, w…what do you need from us to do this?" Don asked

"Um, if I can take the first crime scene photo and…and the last." Charlie said. "I mean, that'll give us the greatest interval of time."

Espa looked up as Amita walked away and then turned back.

"Thanks, Charlie." Megan said.

Espa bend and whispered in her husband's ear. He smiled and kissed her cheek before clicking his tongue at her. She then hugged his shoulders and buried her face in his neck as he looked at something, breathing in his scent that always brought her a sense of warmth and security. He patted her arm gently. He had come home a couple of days finding her wrapped about his pillow with her head against it as if it were him there. He smiled. He could not imagine life now without a wife to come home to and only one woman to make love to when his body needed to relax or just to feel the physical love between them.

"Does that girl have something to do with this?" Amita asked.

Megan looked over. "Yeah, she does. Why?"

"She said something to me." Amita said.

Megan looked at her in surprise. "She spoke to you?"

Don, who had been looking through the pictures for Charlie, turned quickly to look at her knocking Espa back a little, but she recovered and waved his hand off. He looked at Amita.

"Yeah, when I first came in. I think she was asking for help." Amita said.

"Wait, in English?" Don asked.

"No, in Tamil." Amita said. "My family moved to the United States from Chennai, in southern India. Tamil is what they speak there."

Megan looked at Don and back at Amita. Don blinked.

Megan took Amita and Espa into the room with the girl. The girl stood up and started to speak again to Amita.

"What did she say?" Megan asked.

"I'm not sure, um, I…I think that she's asking for help." Amita said. The girl rattled off some more and Amita sighed. "Honestly, I haven't heard much Tamil since I was really little. I, uh, I think she may have said something about her sister."

"Okay, um, I am going to get a translator." Megan looked at Espa. "Do you happen to speak it?"

"No. Sorry." Espa shrugged. "Mandrin, Arabic, Basque, German, Mongolian, Farsi, and Shoshoni are all I know."

Megan rolled her eyes as she moved to the door. "We can…"

"Wait, Megan." Amita said stopping her. "Is it okay if I stay with her?"

"Yeah. Yeah." Megan nodded as she walked out.

Espa leaned against the wall as Amita sat down near the girl. "Hi." Amita said softly.

The girl's eyes lifted to look at her slowly.

"My name is Amita." Amita said slowly.

The girl took a breath. "My name is Santi."

Amita and Espa looked at each other. The girl spoke English.

NUMB3RS

The crime scene David and Colby were talking to the hotel manager as Crime Scene worked on the scene before them. Colby had found the ice machine and the ice did not match the ice at the scene.

The room had been a laundry room and it should have been locked. They get their laundry delivered. They also get other things delivered as well like baked goods.

The two ask to see a schedule of all the deliveries.

NUMB3RS

Esperanza had left Zephyr in the care of Alan while she went to teach her morning class. Alan Eppes took the baby with him everywhere he went. She was in her car seat and often content because driving put her out very quickly when she was fussy. He pulled up and removed the car seat and was headed into the house with an arm load of groceries since it was his week to buy.

"All right, we've got the same humidity. What else do we need to know?" Larry asked from where he sat perched on a stool.

"Uh, we need to know the heat exchange rate by the thermal boundary layers of the ice." Charlie said looking at the photos.

Larry held a stop watch and a computer. Both men were bundled up ready to do their experiment. "In essence, how fast ice melts."

"Right. Now we've replicated all the variable involved, what the ice was sitting on, ice purity, humidity, air movement, room temperature…" Charlie said as he walked about.

Alan walked in. "Hey, what are you two doing?" He asked. He set the baby down and reached for her.

"Hey, Dad." Charlie said.

"It's freezing in here." Alan said as he held the baby to him under his suit jacket.

"We're watching ice melt." Larry said.

"Yeah, Don got us a temperature reading from the crime scene. We've set the house's thermostat to match." Charlie said.

"Crime scene? What, did someone kill an Eskimo?" Alan asked as he cooed to Zephyr as she whimpered. "I am sure Don would not like his baby getting a cold in the name of science exploration for a crime scene." He said. He walked and got the little baby coat and put it on her and gently put her baby against his body to warm her and she him.

"The ice is liquefying." Charlie said.

"Got a rather gruesome mystery here." Larry said handing him the photos.

"Ooh!" Alan said. "Yeah! I can see that. What was it?"

"We don't know. We don't know. But whatever happened, it happened between 7:15 and 7:30 yesterday morning."

"So, we've got a time for the crime." Larry said.

"And depending on what happened, the time may be very important." Charlie said with a sigh. "For starters we can tell the FBI when witnesses might have seen something."

"Yeah, I see." Alan said. "You think you can get this crime scene cleared up before breakfast? If you leave it this cold and Zephyr gets sick you will have to care for her until she is better." He warned and walked into the other room.

NUMB3RS

Colby and David arrived at the hotel again. The baker was unloading the goods for the morning. They walked over to see him. Colby snagged a muffin when they asked about ice. The man did not remember that, but there was an ambulance there.

Colby and David had Megan run that information against the logs of 911 calls. The tech came up empty for a 911 at that location. Don came in wondering about what was found.

Don sent Megan off to go to the emergency rooms. She went to University General and was met by the attending doctor because of an Asian/Indian Jane Doe that was brought in. The girl died. A kidney was missing because the surgery was not done right.

NUMB3RS

Espa had decided she would go back to horseback riding like she had before she moved to California. She had selected a barn. She walked in and went to selected a mare to ride. She found a beautiful Arabian mare. She reached in her hand with a sugar cube. The mare sniffed it and took it.

"That 'ere horse is half mad." A man said. "We're puttin' her down soon 'cause none of us can ride 'er."

Espa looked at the horse and spoke softly in Shoshoni, the words her friends had taught her when they first had taught her to ride with the Sho-Ban people. She opened the door and stepped in. She stood back as the horse nickered and moved about the pen a moment. Espa reached out and touched her nose. "Hello beautiful." She whispered.

"'Er name is BLÁTHNAT, it means fire, I think." The man said. "You be crazy goin' in 'ere like that. She mad I tell ya."

"No. She is just not loved." Espa said. She caressed the nose as she gave her another cube.

"She goin' to 'ere vet tomarra." The man said. "Cuttin' my losses with 'er"

"And if I buy her?" Espa asked.

"Ya must be daft too." The man said.

"Perhaps." Espa smiled walking to the edge of the fence. "How much?"

"Two hundred would be more then she 'ere worth."

"How about six and you keep her three months here?" Espa said reaching into her purse for her check book.

"One thousand and I will keep 'er fur free with oats fur ya lady. And a nice 'ere saddle ya can burra." The man said.

"Done." Espa said as she started to fill out the check. She gave it to him and turned back to the horse. The ears flicked forward. Espa smiled and scratched her. "Welcome home Fire Eppes." She chuckled, trying to think of a way to inform her husband.

NUMB3RS

By afternoon the coroner had confirmed what the doctor had said to Megan. She came in to the war room to tell them the girl's kidney had been taken and she doed from a massive hemorrhage. The artery was cut when they took the kidney meaning the person made a bad mistake. The blood at the hotel also matched the dead girl.

Don, Colby and David looked at her. They were dealing with someone into organ theft. Colby remembered seeing girls with new passports and then returning with scars and a thousand bucks. It was two or more years' salary for the families. What was willingly when the family was starving. They were called 'transplant tourists' in Afghanistan.

Don suggested looking at people who removed themselves from transplant lists because they got a new kidney.

David went to look into it.

Megan had Amita come with her when she went to the Women's Detention Center where the girl, Santi, was being held and cared for until the FBI had questioned her. Megan asked her about what happened. She found out there were four girls, the two sisters, and two others. Two are missing. Prita, Santi's sister, and another girl. The one whom they thought was her sister was another girl who had come with them.

Megan called Don with that information. Four girls and two were missing to look for. David also had news that there had been a man who removed himself from the lists. The night manager held out on them. Don sent David and Colby to go find him and bring him in.

The man, Benjamin Riley, was in ICU because of complications from his new kidney.

Don sent Megan to go talk to Riley's doctor. She found out the doctor was very willing to talk even with a lawyer present. He did not do the surgery. He told Megan the doctor who did, made mistakes and the man now had a systemic infection. The doctor was trying to save him as a patient, but it did not look good.

Megan returned to find Colby and David there. They had found the night manager to be a dead end. He quit the same night that they interviewed him. Colby puts it together. The driver of the ambulance company was also in on it since he was there at the hotel. They are slowly putting the pieces together to trace a killer, killing for human body parts and money.

NUMB3RS

Espa was having a late lunch in Charlie's office after her noon hour class. She was finishing her toast when a knock made both she and Charlie look up. Amita was there.

"What's up? It's the Milton Prize winner." Charlie said looking up from a book he held.

"Yeah." She sighed.

"Do you want me to go?" Espa asked looking up at her.

"No please stay." Amita said.

"What's up? Are you…you okay?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah." She said.

Espa looked at her and rolled her eyes seeing through that.

"You know, we should reschedule our celebration." Charlie said.

"Yeah. I don't know. I'm not really in the mood to celebrate." Amita said.

"Oh?" Espa asked.

"Is it okay if we hold off, maybe?" Amita asked dropping onto the table next to Espa.

"Yeah." Charlie said.

Amita nodded. Espa gently touched her back and offered a reassuring smile at her. Amita smiled a little back at her. Espa had always helped her when she was around. Amita also respected the sister-in-law of Charlie because she kept him grounded as well. She was his confidant and she got through to him when no other could. She was half mother and half sister to him and he needed both. Amita had to also admire her because she also had become the only woman in a household of set in their way bachelors and had taken over as the house matron. Espa was good for all the Eppes men. Don because he had married and produced a baby, Charlie because she was encouraging him to date and get out of his math box more, and Alan because she encouraged him to date and also gave him purpose in life with his new grandbaby.

"You're upset for that girl that you met at the FBI aren't you?" Charlie asked Amita.

Amita nodded. "I went to see her this morning." She sighed. "You know, Megan thought a familiar face might help her cope. But I mean, how do you cope with something like that? Besides, you know, there's not really that much in common between us." She said.

Espa moved to sit by her as Charlie started to write on the board.

"She comes from the same place as your family." Charlie said

"She does. But, you know, I grew up in California, Charlie. I mean, I know more about surfing than I do about India." Amita sighed. Espa gently rubbed her arm to comfort her as she sat silently letting her talk. "When I was little, you know, kids used to make fun of me because I was different. But I didn't want to be different. When my grandmother used to tell me stories about what it was like, I just tuned her out. And I wanted to push away that part of who I am."

"You wanted to fit in here." Charlie said.

Amita nodded. "But now, you know, seeing this girl and what she's going through, I have to help her." She said bordering on tears. Espa gently hugged her looking at her. "But I don't know how. I don't know what to say and I don't know what to do…"

"Well, maybe you should ask your grandmother, I mean, she seemed to have some good ideas." Charlie said setting down his chalk. The two women looked up startled.

"And even if you didn't used to listen to her…"

Amita jumped up startling Charlie as she kissed him on his mouth. His eyes widened. "Thank you, Charlie." She smiled. "You really are a genius."

She turned and left.

Espa smiled at the startled Charlie. She smiled and hugged him "Good job." She smiled.

"What did I say?" He asked touching his mouth.

"You gave her an idea." His sister-in-law said and kissed his cheek. "I will see you later, huh?"

NUMB3RS

Colby and David went to check out the ambulance company. The driver was missing, but pulling in. When he saw David and Colby he drove out and the two agents followed in a police chase through the city.

He wrecked-out when he hit a taxi. He died on scene. Colby saw to the taxi driver who was wounded, but mostly just surprised. Maybe the ambulance driver was an organ donor.

NUMB3RS

Amita had asked Espa and Charlie to come to the Detention Center with her to see Santi. Amita had brought her some things. The girl was brought in. "Hi." Amita greeted.

Espa smiled. "Hi Santi."

Santi looked at Espa and then Charlie.

"No this isn't official." Amita said. "We just came to see how you were doing. Santi, this is my friend, Charlie, and you remember Espa."

"Hello." Santi said.

"Hi." Charlie said.

The women sat down. Charlie stood and watched them. "So, how are you doing?" Amita asked.

"I am okay." Santi said.

The women nodded. "We brought you some stuff." Amita said. "Um, some clothes." She said pushing a bag for her. "And…"

Charlie cell phone went off. Espa looked up as Amita stood up. "Hello." He said.

"Here's some shampoo." Amita said.

"Yeah. That's no problem. I'll be right there." Charlie said. Espa gave him an inquiring look.

"And a hairbrush. And a toothbrush and toothpaste." Amita said.

Charlie leaned down to them. "I've got to get back to the FBI." He said softly. He laid a hand on Amita's arm. "You two gonna be all right in this place?"

"Yeah." Amita said sitting back down. "We'll be fine."

"We will look after each other." Espa said.

"Okay." Charlie said. "Santi, the FBI's doing everything they can to find your sister."

She nodded.

"Thanks for coming with me." Amita said.

He smiled and then leaned down and kissed Espa's cheek and then walked out.

Santi looked at the other two women. "It will be very nice…to wash my hair." She said.

Espa smiled as did Amita.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that." Amita said.

"Can I get you anything else from the outside?" Espa asked. "My husband is the man in charge of trying to find your sister."

"Your husband…Don Eppes?" Santi asked.

"Yes." Espa nodded. "Charlie is his brother." She smiled and reached across to touch her hand. "We are doing all we can." She said.

"Um…" Amita said. "I…I didn't know what to get." She said. "I mean, I don't know that much about where you're from."

"You are not from India?" Santi asked startled.

"No, I'm not. My family is, but I was born here, in California." Amita sighed. "Actually, I've never even been to India." Santi smiled a little. "I could've gone once with my dad for business, but I didn't…I…I didn't end up going."

"And what is it you do in California?" Santi asked.

"I work in math and astrophysics, at a college." Amita said.

Espa looked at her. "You might want to put that in English." She said softly. "That means nothing to her." She smiled at Santi. "I am a teacher." She said.

"Oh, uh, I…I'm in school." Amita said.

"Oh, I was in school once when I was little, I liked school." Santi said.

"I, uh, brought something else." Amita said. "My grandmother thought you might like to have this." She said putting the contents into the table. Espa looked at the things and cocked her head.

"It is for a puja. A prayer." Santi explained with a smile. "Thank you."

Amita nodded. She lifted the red ball of string. "What is the red string for?"

"We tie a bracelet after." Santi said. "To remember."

Amita nodded and took the girl's hand in her own. Espa smiled and covered them with her own. "I will pray too." She said.

NUMB3RS

Colby and David were getting nowhere with the ambulance trip log. Charlie came in and told them he could help. He could tell them his routes by the mileage driven and find where the man could have gone and where he was getting his coffee.

NUMB3RS

Evening had Don home about eight. He opened the door. "Hello?" He called as he dropped his keys on the table. He walked into the hall. "Anyone home?" He noted the swing was vacant and so was the sitting room.

"Yeah. In the kitchen Don." Alan called out.

Don removed his suit jacket and hung it up. "Hey, Dad. Is Espa here?"

"Yes." She said emerging before her father-in-law did with a cup of steaming coffee in her hand. "Zephyr just went to sleep." She smiled. "You look tired." She said softly.

"I made some coffee, you want some?" Alan asked from the kitchen as he finished pouring his.

"Nah." Don said. He loosened his tie. "I could use a drink though." He groaned. Espa leaned up and kissed him softly. He looked at her in her flannel stripped PJs. "I love you." He told her.

"I know. What can I get you?" She asked caressing his face affectionately.

"A pour of scotch." He said. He smiled. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"All right." She said going to get it for him.

"Oh? Tough day?" Alan asked hearing him as his wife walked toward the decanter in the living room.

"We just got these two missing girls from India." Don said unbuttoning and rolling up his sleeves.

"India?" Alan asked.

"Yeah." Don said.

"What are they doing here?" Alan asked taking a sip of his coffee. "You knew didn't you?" He asked looking at Espa.

"I have been going with Amita to see the girl we know and are keeping safe." She said from where she was pouring.

"Well, selling their kidneys, believe it or not." Don said. "Crazy, right? I mean, they're dirt poor, they get a thousand bucks and a plane ticket over here."

Espa returned with the cup and gave it to her husband. "Here you are my love." She said. She cocked her head at him as if she were thinking.

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "You are a peach." He smiled and took a sip and let the smoky fire burn his lips and throat.

"Isn't that practice illegal here?" She asked leaning against the wall and sipping the coffee.

"Yes." Don nodded. He looked at his father who looked thoughtful. "What?"

"Oh, I was thinking about my friend Lou, you remember him?" Alan asked. "He used to work for the Parks, Department of Recreation."

"Yeah, sure." Don said leaning against the wall next to his wife.

"Yeah, he died last year of, um, kidney failure." Alan said.

"I'm sorry, Dad, I didn't know that." Don said. Espa reached over and rubbed her husband's neck as he took another sip of the liquid.

"Yeah. I remember his family was so desperate. They couldn't find a match among them for a transplant. Not even his two brothers." Alan said sitting down on the bottom stair.

"You'd think brothers would match." Don said looking down at him.

"Yeah, they are blood kin." Espa said.

"Well, actually, it's only one chance in four when it comes to siblings." Alan said.

"Hmm..." Don said.

"They even tested me." Alan said taking another sip of coffee. "And then they put him on this long list. Waiting for a donor." Don dropped down beside him with a grunt. Espa stood near them. She could hear that Alan was sad remembering as Don no doubt could. They both listened and watched the Eppes patriarch as he spoke. "Must've been hundreds ahead of him. That man could've lived."

"Yeah, I mean, you know, look, I see what you're saying. But, you know, these kids are dragged halfway across the world so some back-alley quack can cut them up for parts." Don said.

Espa sighed and dropped down to the stair above them. She tucked up her knees and sipped her coffee. "That is horrible." She said.

"Yeah, I know, I'm not saying it's right. I'm just saying…that when it comes to looking at your own mortality, ah, you'd grab on to anything to save your life." Alan said.

"Hmm…" Don nodded.

Espa gently rubbed his neck as he looked ahead. Don sighed and took another drink of the scotch in his hand as he reached up to pat his wife's knee. He had never been overly affectionate with his father, but Espa was able to cross all boundaries there being a woman.

Don then took his wife up to their room after finishing the scotch to talk to her in private. He needed her gently confidence and her gentle words to calm him. Then when he was unwound, he knew he would find solace in her body as well.

NUMB3RS

Larry and Charlie were in the garage working on the where the driver could have gone. All points led to University General. There had to be a contact at the hospital.

NUMB3RS

David and Colby went to the morgue of University General. They found a worker down there who knew of the ambulance driver. His contact was normally Michael Tolchuck, the man who was the manager at the hotel the night that Santi was found and the crime scene.

David told him to call his boss since he found paperwork for four bodies and he counted five there. The fifth one, who did not have a toe tag, looked like one of their missing girls when they lowered the sheet.

Don and Megan came in when the ME came in to give his preliminary report. He said that the morgue was a great place to hide a body. Megan had already shown the picture to Santi. It was not her sister, but was the other girl they were looking for.

There were many parts taken from her. Both kidneys, corneas, liver, and bone tissue were all taken. They were worth up to 300,000 dollars if they could have a match. Also bio-firms used all sorts of tissues. The witness problem became a payday for someone.

Santi's sister needs a match for them to make a payday with her and hopefully they can find where she is before it is too late.

NUMB3RS

Charlie came in with Amita to explain the mechanics of organ donation. Amita wanted to run a blood test on Santi to try and find the match for her sister. Even being a one in four shot was better than none.

Charlie and Amita ran the results and found out that Santi and her sister were not matches. They could not find anyone on this list who would match Prita. Amita was very upset.

Megan brought over a CD with names from the computer of Tolchuck and they found a match for Prita. Charlie quickly called Don and gave him an address and name.

NUMB3RS

Espa finished teaching her class and went to the horse barn. She fed her horse a sugar cube. BLÁTHNAT, came when Espa called to her. The beautiful mare seemed to like Espa, but she shied away from the others in the barn.

Espa put on reins and then pulled herself onto her back. The horse pranced nervously a moment, but then settled and allowed Espa to ride out of her enclosure and into the corral. Espa rode her expertly. All the barn hands were impressed because the horse bit, kicked, and tried to injure anyone else who went close to her. Now she was letting her new owner ride her.

NUMB3RS

Don and Megan went to the home of Mr. Eckworth who was the recipient match for Prita. He was very ill and having home health care as he lay in bed. He was unwilling to talk and his daughter was surprised by what the two agents were saying.

Don pulled them out, but had Megan go find the daughter at her work place and talk to her. At first the woman was not willing to help, but then when she realized an innocent girl might die she opened up. Also she had the information that Megan had that the man who had gotten the kidney from the first girl had died from a system infection in his body.

NUMB3RS

The next day Don put together a raid team with a medic to go and save Prita. They walked in through the run down hotel. They burst in just before the doctor was about to cut. They cuffed the nurse and the doctor and hauled them away. The medic said the girl was find just asleep.

They cleared from the hospital about two hours later. Espa and Amita were waiting for her. They introduced themselves and told her they were going to go see Santi.

Espa stayed in the car while Amita took Prita in. Santi wept as she hugged her sister. Amita also had a prayer bracelet and she believed in the people who would help them.

Don came over a little while later and cleared them to be released to immigration so they could go home. Amita rode with them in the back of his suburban talking to them about the future.

NUMB3RS

Amita came to the Eppes family home with Larry to have a dinner. Alan and Charlie met her in the kitchen as she walked in with the food. Espa came down stairs with the baby in her arms.

"Mmm, that smells so good." Charlie said.

"I hope it's good." Amita said. "It's embarrassing, but I actually had to ask my grandmother what to get."

"It was absolutely unnecessary for you to buy dinner for us." Alan said coming out with silverware.

Espa was sitting at the table end with the baby bouncing on her leg. Zephyr laughed as the people came in for her to look at.

"Well, after what Don did to get Prita and Santi out of the detention center, it's really the least I can do."

"Hey, where is Don, anyway?" Larry asked looking about and then looking at Espa.

Espa shrugged. "I have not seen him since he left the detention center."

"He should be here by now." Charlie said. He looked about then looked over and made a face at Zephyr who smiled at him.

"So, what's gonna happen with these girls, Amita, huh?" Alan asked.

Amita looked at Espa and Charlie and they looked back and smiled.

"What?" Alan asked seeing the looks passed.

"Amita is using the money from the Milton Prize to…well why don't you tell them?" Charlie said.

"I'm going to use the money to pay for the girls to go back to school." Amita said as she unpacked the bag.

"Well, that's an admirable use of your award." Larry said. "Let me know if I can contribute in anyway."

"That's sweet, but it's actually not necessary." Amita said. "I'll have enough money to pay the tuition and have extra left over for a trip I want to take."

"You're going to India?" Charlie asked.

Amita nodded. "Yeah, with my grandmother, over spring break."

"Hey, that's…that's great." Charlie said giving her a thumbs up.

Espa smiled. "Yes. I told her to take a lot of pictures since it will be a while before I can travel like that again." She said lifting Zephyr to make her point.

"Hey, guys, sorry I'm late. I got stuck at the DMV." Don said walking in the door.

Espa looked up and smiled. Zephyr's face lit up seeing her daddy.

"What were you doing at the DMV?" Alan asked.

Don set some things on the table. "Well, I'm now officially an organ donor." He said pulling out his wallet and showing his license with it's sticker. "Check it out." He said holding it up.

"Hey, look at that." Alan said.

"Cool." Larry said. He gave Don thumbs up.

"Nice, huh?" Don said.

Espa stood up. "'Bout time, Agent." She teased.

Don shot her a look. She batted her eyes playfully at him. He kissed his daughter and straightened and kissed his wife. "All right, so now I get treated with a little more respect around here, huh?" He said as he swatted her bottom playfully. She scoffed at him. He removed his jacket and then took the baby from her.

"You know, if more people took that simple step, can you imagine the ramifications?" Alan asked.

"Well, basic economic theory." Charlie said. "Black markets rely on a shortage of a regulated commodity."

"That's right. Increase the supply, the black market disappears." Larry said.

"Well, here's a couple extra applications in case anyone wants." Don said holding them up as he moved to join them.

"No, that's all right. I already got my sticker." Alan asked.

Don listened as he went into the kitchen to get a beer while holding his daughter against him.

"Yeah, look, I've been an organ donor for years." Larry said.

"Yeah, me too." Amita said.

"I have been since I was driving at fourteen in Idaho." Espa said.

"Fourteen?" Larry looked at her.

"I'm from the sticks remember?" She shrugged as she dropped into her seat at the end facing Alan at the far end.

"What about you, Charlie." Alan asked.

"I don't know." Charlie said looking at the card. Don returned and sat down between his brother and his wife. He sat with Zephyr against his arm as she sat on his knee looking up at him. "I kind of want to hold on to my internal organs, you know."

"Uh, Charlie, they don't actually take them until you've finished with them." Alan said.

"I'm aware of that, Father." Charlie said looking at him.

"Yeah, well, then there's nothing to worry about." Alan said.

"It's just, you know, what if I'm not dead and they think I'm dead, because I, like, look dead?" Charlie said.

Don looked up at Espa and then Amita. "Yeah, well, in your case, I could see that happening, so..." Don said.

Espa reached over and flicked him shoulder. "Don…" She warned, but he could see her smiling.

"Don't worry, Charlie." Alan said. "You got your family around to make sure that something like that never happens."

"Yeah, Chuck, we got your back." Don said as he passed Espa the baby as she started to fuss. He started looking in all the boxes as Espa clasped the baby to her to nurse as she covered herself with a light blanket. "And your spleen." He smirked.

Everyone chuckled. Charlie put a sticker on his ID.

"I got his heart." Alan said.

Espa lifted a box with her free hand. "I get his corneas." She said.

"Whoa, wait a second…" Charlie said. He looked down at her and smile smiled at him with an innocent look.

"It's his brain that I think people want." Don said as he served himself and his wife. "Maybe we should keep that and put it on eBay."

"No, that goes to a museum." Alan said as the all began to dig in.

"Are you sure?" Espa asked. "I mean, we are sitting on a gold mine there." She smirked as did Don.

All laughed.


	27. We Are the Youth of the Nation

**We are the Youth of the Nation**

**6**

**Million Jews**

**3,000**

**KKK Members**

**3**

**Families**

**1**

**Gasing truck**

Espa sighed as she bent down and opened the dryer door. She smiled as her baby was tied to her back shifted. She had a long scarf about her body that held the sleeping baby secure to her side. She pulled the laundry into her basket she had. She sighed lifting it against her hip as she walked back into the house with an arm about her child.

She sighed. Her hair was in a loose pony tail. She had gotten done with her classes for the day. It was mid afternoon and she had much housework to do. Don and Alan helped her when they could, but she still did much of the work on her own, mostly because it was easier and she had her own set way of doing things.

She walked to the stairs and up to her air conditioned sanctuary. Her husband often teased her that it was like an icebox in their bedroom and snuggled close to his wife. It also led to many lovemaking sessions to be warmer, for him. It was only seventy-five in the room, which was better than the ninety outside. Don, however, had been born and raised in LA and had lived in humid parts of the US his whole life.

Espa could handle dry heat, she had gone hiking in the Grand Canyon for God sake where there were one-hundred and forty degree thermals rising from the rocks. That had not affected her as much as the nasty heat when there was an ocean around. Even in Europe it had not been so humid for her.

Espa began to sort the clothing on the bed. She made one pile for Alan, one pile for Charlie, one pile for the baby, and one pile for her and Don. She put Alan's shirts on hangers and folded his pants with ease. Next was Charlie's pile. He had the second most laundry in the home and the most informal clothing. She folded his clothing and made a pile. She sighed and started into her pile of Don and her own clothing. She looked and saw that the baby was awake. She smiled and lifted her out and put her in her crib to coo and listen to the soft music Espa was playing.

She returned to Don's myriad of clothing. Not that she blamed him, he often had to change because of his job and he had suits, ties, and dress pants, along with his t-shirts and jeans. She folded and hung up all her clothing with his and smiled. On to the last pile. The baby pile.

She started to fold the small clothing when Don looked around the door. He smiled. "Hey, have you seen Charlie?"

"I did not hear you come in." She said knowing he normally called out when he came home. "He has a class from three until five. Why?" She said as she folded some washcloths. Don walked into the room. She smiled at her husband as she continued to work. He nodded the piles and sighed.

"You really could let Dad and Charlie do their own laundry. They are fully capable."

"So are you." She smiled at him. "We do not pay rent. I should do my part for us."

"Your part?" He asked as he reached to help her fold the last little bits. "My God, Espa, you cook, you clean, you vacuum, you wash dishes, you buy groceries, you are a mother, and you work full time. I think you have done your part."

"Dad says the same thing, but I enjoy it." She said. She reached up and pulled on his tie. It startled him a little, but he bent and she kissed him. "What brings you here my loving g-man?"

"Oh, I was looking for Charlie, and I wanted to see you. I worked most of last night and by the time I got home you were sleeping. When I got up you were still out. You were exhausted. I fed little Margot twice and you hardly stirred." He smiled. He walked to the baby's crib and lifted her up in his arms.

"You spoil her." She said as she stacked Charlie and Alan's clothes back in the basket and lifted the basket to her hip.

"No more than my daughter should be. Besides I hardly ever see her." He said. He followed her as she walked to the end of the hall. She opened the closed door without knocking. Don watched her surprised by her forwardness into his father's room. She dropped the laundry off on the bed and smiled as she walked out.

Next she walked strait into Charlie's room again Don watched as she set the clothing on his brother's bed. She then made his bed with the ease that she made their own bed in the morning. He sighed. Charlie was taking advantage of Espa.

She worked far too hard to try and please the other men in the family. He was grateful having all the stuff done for him and the home, but he also thanked her for it every day. Espa enjoyed the mundane tasks of keeping the Craftsman working. It also was much cleaner around because she cleaned when she was bored, stress, or just wanted to.

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Thanks." He smiled as she set the basket in the hall. She smiled and wiped her brow. She leaned up and took his kiss as he held their baby and walked about. She wiped her hands.

"Well I have a few minutes to relax before I need to start dinner." She said.

"Honey, you need to stop slaving away for the ungrateful house owner here." Don said looking at her. "I mean…" He walked forward and rubbed her neck gently with his free hand. "You do his clothes, you clean, you…"

"I would be the same with the three of us. It is not as bad as you think and I have Dad here to keep me company half the time at least." She shrugged.

He caught her arm and looked at her. "If you pass out from exhaustion I will be going to jail for beating up my little brother."

"No you won't." She chuckled.

"How would you know?" He asked as he shifted his baby against his shoulder. He eyed her with his dark eyes regarding her. "I grew up with the kid. I can still kick his ass when he needs it. Verbally at least." He sighed. "I will not have you slave to death for three men."

"Ah, but one man is fine." She smiled.

He bent and kissed her. "That is not what I meant." His dark eyes were full of love and concern. She knew he had meant it different, but she could not resist teasing him.

"I know." She sighed and looked at him. "What brings you here anyway? Snacks at the office running low again?"

"Well, I was looking for my brother." He smiled as he followed her down the stairs. "Do you think you could make me lunch?" He asked. She turned to look at him on the last step and he pouted playfully.

"All right. Alan will be wanting something anyway. How about a sandwich and some soup?"

"Sounds good." He said shifting his daughter so he could put her in her sling. He set it and she started to fuss a little at him letting her down. Gretchen who was sprawled in a sun spot on the floor looked up at him and he smiled at her. The dog was as much a daughter as the baby his wife had given birth to was. Funny, she had brought both a fur child and a real child to the marriage besides her wife skills.

He chuckled to himself. His wife impressed many people including Edgerton who promised to drop by for a home cooked meal from her when he was next in LA. Don and Charlie would appreciate having him back there even if the reason why was less than ideal.

He leaned against the door as she moved about making him a roast beef sandwich with Dijon mustard and miracle whip since he hated mayo. She smiled as she put a pickle on the side and stirred the soup she was making. She knew it had to be a slow day for him to be there. Either that or he really was looking for his brother. After his last major case with the black market of human organs he had become a donor and spoken to her at length about how the case had sickened him.

She put the soup in a bowl and put the plate on the table with a spoon and smiled at him. He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Thank you." He took a bite and sighed in pleasure. His wife truly knew what he liked. "What are you doing the rest of the day?" He asked. "Do you have another class?" He looked behind him since she had gone back into the kitchen.

"Yes. She teaches at four." Alan said walking in. Espa brought another bowl out for him. He smiled at her. "I never thought I would have a live in caretaker. I can cook you know Espa. Not that I am saying stop, but you should take a break some days."

"That is what I was telling her." Don said as he took another bite of his soup. "I mean, it might be hard for Charlie to be on his own…"

"I am saving us both money and I enjoy it. If you do not…" She said folding her arms as she looked at them.

"That is not what we meant." Don said. He caught her wrist and pulled her to him. He patted her back lightly. "We love it, but you spoil us." He smiled up at her. "I mean, you are spoiling three hard core bachelors." He smiled at her. "You deserve some spoiling too."

"I shop." She shrugged. "I am a working mother and wife. I have my own entertainments Don." She smiled and touched his cheek. "And I am not angry."

"Good." He said and patted her bottom affectionately. He watched her go and get her purse. "Where are you going?"

"Working with BLÁTHNAT." She said with a smiled.

"What's a BLÁTHNAT?" Don asked after taking a bit of his sandwich.

"B-L-Á-T-H-N-A-T. Irish for little flower or fire or something like that, she told me." Alan said as he watched Espa go to the door. "Though her new name will be Loki." He said.

"Isn't that the name of a trickster? And who is the she?" Don asked as his wife started for the door gathering a helmet.

"Your wife's horse." Alan said matter-of-factly.

"My wife's…horse?" Don looked at his father. "Why did she not tell me about a horse, but she told you?"

"I have met her. She's a beauty." Alan smiled. "She took a sugar cube from my hand. Espa had to teach me to feed her." He chuckled. "I am not sure I am brave enough to get on her back, but she is beautiful."

"She had one in Idaho named Cloudy Sky." Don said. "So she has taken up riding again. She said she wanted to. How can I tell her no? It is something she loves and she needs a hobby." He said. He shook his head. "Well, I can hardly begrudge her that."

"The horse was going o be destroyed and Espa is one of three people she will let near her." Alan sighed. "Man and beast know a good woman when they meet her." He chuckled.

Don's phone rang and he sighed as he finished his sandwich and licked his fingers lifting his phone. "Eppes. All right. Thanks. I will be there as soon as I can." He rose to his feet. He clapped his father on his back. "I will see ya later."

NUMB3RS

Don arrived on a gruesome scene. Down by the shipyard there were a heap of bodies on the ground. Don pulled on his gloves and looked in disgusted. A whole family lay on the floor. A mother, father, two sons, a daughter, and a toddler all dead.

David nodded to him. "Hey, Don."

"Hey. What is this?" Don asked. He noted Haz-Mat people were around as were several agents.

"Haz-Mat says it the gas used was Zyklon B, a cyanide-based insecticide in traces in their mouths and such. They were moved post-mortem as well." David said. "We are thinking this is a hate crime."

"And why is that?" Don asked looking at the wife's face. She was fairly young.

"Look at the closest boy's hand." David said.

Don arched an eyebrow and then leaned closer. There was a yellow Star of David made of felt. Drawn on it was the six pointed star with the letters J-U-D-E written on them. He felt his blood run cold. This family was Jewish and they had died because someone did not like Jews. The person had taken out the whole family.

"There is also a note." David said.

Don looked at the laminated note. "It's in German. I will get Espa to read it for us." He said. He sighed and shook his head as the coroners began to load up the bodies to take them to the morgue.

NUMB3RS

Esperanza Eppes walked into the FBI office wearing a suit skirt, blouse, and top. Her hair was in two braids looped about her head. Don looked up at her. "There you are." He had called about two hours ago and left a message for her knowing she would come in when her class ended.

"What do you need? It sounded serious." She said as she clipped on her ID badge to the hip of her skirt.

"A family was killed." He said. He lifted the picture of the JUDE badge watching her face. "Since you lived in Austria for a year after high school and are a history professor who knows German, I was hoping you could help us." His dark eyes watched her.

She nodded. "Sure."

They walked together to the war room where Megan and Colby were looking over files. On the large screen was the picture of the note that was found. Espa looked at it and put her hand to her mouth.

"What is it?" Don asked. "What does it say? I mean, can make out Hitler and Holocaust and Reich."

"Die Juden sollen wie Hitler sterben begonnen mit dem Holocaust! Mögen sie aller Würfel wie die Schweine, die sie sind! Schmutzig und unrein. Phasen sehnen sich das Reich. So beginnen wir das Kristallnacht and Auschwitz." She read to them. "The Jews are to die like Hitler started with the Holocaust! May they all die like the pigs they are! Dirty and unclean. Long live the Reich. So we start the Night of Broken Glass." She shivered. "Don…" she looked at him. "Your suspects are trying to cause mass murder."

"They have a good start with six dead." Colby said.

"What did they die of?" She asked.

"Preliminary ME report said Zyklon-B, an insecticide." Don said. He watched her face as she shook her head. "What?"

"And there are times when I wish people did not learn from history so they would not repeat the bad parts of it." She sighed. "Zyklon-B was the toxin that the Germans used in World War Two to kill off more than three million Jews." She looked at them. "One point four million in Auschwitz alone." She looked at Don. "There are some things best left in history." She sighed. "So they were in a sealed chamber? A shower? That would have been too hard these days to get a whole family in there. What did they use?"

"We do not know. What do you think?" Don asked as he sat down on the table near her and spread his hands.

"Before they used this poison on the Jews they tested it on Franco's problem in Spain. Some of my family died making sure this worked. They wanted to kill the Jews so they could take what was useful to them before they incinerated them." She looked at the note. "After the Luftwaffe bombed the civilian targets in the Pyrenees, they went after the Basques. Basques were killed in death trucks that they were herded into like the Jews were on the railcars for transport to the concentration camps. Only, the Basques were just dumped in mass graves and left to rot. They did not bother stealing from them. Franco wanted them removed from this earth by whatever means necessary. " She turned. "You need to find this SOB quickly Don. He will not stop until you stop him."

She reached past Don who was trying to hide the crome scene photos from her. She picked up the one of boy. His face was twisted in pain. She shook her head.

"What is it?" Megan asked.

"It hurt to die. "That mean the additive was in the Zyklon-B. It is still made in the Czech Republic called Uragan D2." She said. "That will be your source. Unless these freaks of nature are using the old German canisters, though that has to be unstable. There was no additive in them. That was why they killed without the Jews fighting it. It did not burn their throats. It let them die quietly. This poor family did not die quietly. The bastards wanted them to suffer. The additive was there and it made them know the air was bad. See their faces with the look of pain." She pointed. "They fought harder when they realized they could not breathe."

"But why are they referencing the Kristallnacht?" Colby asked.

"That was the night of the pogram against the Warsaw Ghetto. The Nazis killed, raided, raped, and herded the people." She sighed. "It was called the Night of Broken Glass because no window was left standing." She looked at Don. "Neo-Nazism is alive and well and should not be. I will help you all I can."

NUMB3RS

Don came home. He needed a break from the office. He sat and sipped some water as he looked over the crime scene photos. Alan came in and looked at him. He dropped into a seat looking at a couple of the pictures. Don was distracted enough not to put them out of his sight.

"What is this?" Alan asked.

"A mass homicide against a Jewish family." Don answered. "Espa is upstairs looking up some things for me in her books."

"What happened?"

"They were executed for being Jewish."

"I see. So a hate crime."

Don sighed. "Yeah looks like it. Nothing has come of this and we need a lead before someone else dies."

NUMB3RS

Espa went to the horse barn to see her mare after filling out the horse passport to change her name. She looked at the girl who was standing still. She touched her nose. "What is it girl?" She asked. She opened the door to the pen and came in. She saw movement. She squinted in the darkened room and looked at the hay. It was wet.

She dropped down. Her mare leaned over her head and nudged her. "What?" Espa asked. Loki, as she now would be called, nudged something small on the floor. Espa peered closer and then gasped. Her hand went to her mouth.

Loki was a mother.

NUMB3RS

Don was not sure what to make of the news that his wife's mare had given birth to a beautiful filly. Espa had asked him what to call her and Don had did not have an answer. When she kept pestering him he looked out the window and had answered 'Porsche', since it was a car he wanted to own.

Espa had said it was a good name and told him she was heading home after the vet checked out the little baby. The stable manager was amazed, Espa had reported. The small mare had not looked pregnant, nor acted like it.

Don and the team was no closer to finding the people who had killed the family. Don looked up as David and Colby came back from the local Jewish community. The Silbermann family had been very prominent members in the community and the deaths of all of them had been felt like a shock wave.

Don was not surprised. It had affected him a bit as well since he was ethnically Jewish, though he did not practice. His wife was trying to get him to come to church with her, but every time he had wanted to he had been called away to work.

NUMB3RS

Don had been driving back home to have brisket with the family when he got a call to come back to work. At the docks another family, again Jewish was found. This time it was a rabbi, his new wife, who was pregnant, and two kids from a former marriage.

Don was not liking this trend, but the killers had made a vital mistake. They had gone through the camera section of the docks. They were able to enhance the video and get the plate number.

It was registered to a Walter Harris who was from Idaho. He was on the FBI's wanted list as a fugitive. The address for the car, however, was in LA.

Don and the team gathered a SWAT team to go to the house. They found the van in the driveway. Don went to the door and they found the door locked. They went into the house by force.

They arrested four teenagers who were there drinking beer and cleaning two M-16s. Two were put in holding and two were put into interrogation.

The kid, Richard Jensen, would not talk to Don because he was Jewish and called him names until Don got fed up and threw him back in the hole. All of the kids did not really talk. The girl gave up the name Walter, but she would say little else.

Don realized they needed to find this man Walter Harris who was said to be in the area promoting his neo-Nazi ideals. They held the kids as suspects, three of whom were eighteen and if they were killers would be tried as adults.

Don called Fugitive Recovery to have them send out an agent to try and track down Harris before another family died. For now they had the murder weapon, the truck, which was air tight in the back and was covered in the victims' and the kids' fingerprints.

It was going to be a long night.

NUMB3RS

The next mid-afternoon, Esperanza Eppes looked up as a suburban pulled into the driveway. Don was home early. She put a brick on the papers she was grading and walked to the edge of the porch. She stood on the top step her feet bare and wearing a yoga shirt and pants. Her hair was pulled back on a loose pony tail to keep it out of her eyes.

The door opened and she realized this man was not her husband. He work a t-shirt and jeans. She also noted the FBI shield and duty weapon in his belt. He was red haired and fair skinned. He also was taller than Don.

He saw her there and smiled. "Hello, there." His eyes were bright blue and charming as he walked up to her. He looked her up and down a moment before meeting her eyes. "Is Don here?"

"No, but he will be soon. You are…"

"Agent Billy Copper. I'm an old friend." He said. "Don and I used to work together."

"Any friend of Don is a friend of mine. Welcome. Can I get you something to drink. I made Lemonade."

"Oh, I would love that."

She smiled and walked into the house. She returned in a few short moments with two glasses, a pitcher full of lemonade, and a plate of cookies."

He grinned. "You spoil me." She nodded to the chair across the table from her in the shade of the umbrella. He took the glass she poured and a cookie and sat back. "What is your name?" He asked.

"Esperanza." She took hers and sat down and back in her chair. She took a sip watching him over the rim.

He smiled. "You know I like this for two reasons. It's sweet and tangy and I get to share it with a beautiful woman."

She blushed and looked down as he flirted with her. "Thank you." He lifted the glass in a salute. "How long have you know Don and what brings you here?"

"Fugitive Recovery. I am after Don's fugitive. Donnie and I used to work in the business. He was really good." He smiled. "It is a pity he got out of it and started teaching."

"I have heard about those years. The family did not approve of it." She said. She smiled and looked at him thoughtfully. "You must be close to him. There are very few people he allows to call him Donnie."

"I'm Coop. He's Donnie. We were a great team." He said leaning forward to have more lemonade. She clicked her tongue and swatted his hand away.

"You are robbing me of being a good hostess to you."

"Honestly, you did not kick me out and you have given me a cool drink and food. You have done a great job." He smiled.

Another suburban pulled into the driveway. "There he is now." She nodded.

"So I was hoping to crash on the sofa here while I hunt this bad ass with Don."

"It's all right by me, but it isn't my house. It's Charlie's." She said. "We are having lamb, couscous, and beans with bacon." She said.

"Oh my God. I have no had lamb in ages." Billy smiled.

She smiled. "Ah, well the cook tonight is Basque and so lamb is always the best."

Don jumped out lightly and walked to where Cooper stood. They smiled and embraced like brothers. Espa watched with a smile.

"Hey Donnie." Cooper said.

"The hell are you doing here Coop." Don said.

"They want me to help you find the SOB you are hunting." Cooper said.

"Great. I hoped they would send you." Don nodded.

"Lemonade Don?" Espa asked standing up.

"Sure. Thanks." He nodded to her.

She disappeared into the house. They both watched her go.

"She's got a nice ass." Cooper commented.

"Yes. You should see it in jeans." Don smirked. "What do you recommend we do about Harris, I mean I am sure T and A looking is fun, but…"

"It seems to be a perk." Cooper smiled. "I was hoping to burrow a couch and shower. I am tired of hotels and if Esperanza cooks as well as she makes this.."

"She does." Don said. "I think she is making lamb.

"What she said."

She came back a few moments later with Zephyr on her hip and another glass. She poured the glass and then sat down with the boys as they watched her and the baby. She had also grabbed a blanket and put it over her shoulder as she held the baby so she could nurse. "I hoped she would sleep a little longer." She sighed. "Sorry."

Cooper waved it off as she watched the little foot kick as he heard the baby nursing. Don reached over and tickled the foot softly.

Espa sighed and sat back. "She is a little piglet today. She went through all that I had pumped while I was teaching."

"You teach?" Cooper asked.

"Yes. I am a professor of history at Cal-Sci." She said.

"Ah, so you work with Charlie." Cooper said.

"Well, same school, different department. I see him a lot there though. We do lunch." Espa smiled.

Cooper looked at Don. "Donnie, I don't remember you telling me about Esperanza."

Don chuckled. "Well, she was after your time." He took her hand from the table and held it as he smiled. "Sorry, I did not get a chance to call. Meet my wife and my daughter Zephyr."

Cooper's face was priceless as he stared at his former fugitive recovery partner in shock. "You? You got married? And had a kid?" He looked at the mother and then back to Don. "I got to see you at Quantico. I can not believe Don Juan settled down."

"Ah, so that nickname transcended to the FBI." Espa said. She smiled. "It is, however, that catch 22 that got us Zephyr to begin with."

Don shot her a look and then took his baby as she lifted her. He bounced her to burp her. When she did he held her facing out to watch her mother and Cooper.

"Damn, she is a cute little thing. Are you sure you're her father?"

"Ha ha." Don shook his head and rolled his eyes.

Zephyr was soon falling asleep in his arms and he gave her back to her mother to put to bed. Espa put her in the house in the swing and turned on the monitor there. She smiled and started to sing softly.

I hear a baby crying,  
A sad sound, a lonely sound.  
I want to take her in my arms,  
And then I dry away all her tears.

I see a boy who's frightened,  
A young boy with old eyes,  
I long to say you're welcome here,  
You can be happy now that you're warm.

We're all a part of one world,  
We all can share the same dream...  
And if you just reach out to me,  
Then you will find deep down inside... I'm just like you,

Loud voices raised in anger,  
Speak harsh words, such cruel words,  
Why do they speak so selfishly?  
When we have got so much we can share.

So let your hearts be open,  
And reach out with all your love,  
There are no strangers now,  
They are our brothers now,  
And we are one.

We're all apart of one world,  
We all can share the same dream,  
And if you just reach out to me,  
Then you will find, deep down inside,  
I'm just like you...

We're all apart of one world,  
We all can share the same dream,  
And if you just reach out to me,  
Then you will find, deep down inside...

I'm just like you...  
I'm just like you...

Cooper and Don had been listening like the baby was. "My God, Donnie. Where did you find that gem to be mother of your children. I never thought I would see you married."

Don chuckled. "I know." He sighed. "But it is good for me."

"Good." Cooper said finishing his lemonade. "Shall we go back to work?"

"Unlike you, I am a father." Don said. He eyed his former partner. "Though I am sure she would like us out of her hair until she has dinner ready." He smiled as she stepped back out followed at her ankles by Gretchen. "We are going to go in and work a couple hours." He said and kissed her gently. He knew Cooper was watching and he wanted to show him the deep affection he had for his wife. He caressed her arm. "See ya."

"Dinner is at seven boys." She said and smiled as they walked to Don's car.

NUMB3RS

Cooper started looking into family and friend contacts of Harris in the area. There were too many to start this night so Cooper just organized them to start in in the morning.

After a couple of hours lamb called his name as it did Don and Charlie who were working with him.

The house smelled so good when the walked in. Cooper brought in his bags and plopped them down by the front door. Gretchen came running in barking at him. He smiled at the little thing.

"A little ankle biter." He said. "You saw me before didn't you?"

"Ah, but you are different now." Don said.

Don leaned down and scooped her up as Charlie b-lined for the swing where Zephyr was lifting her arms and cooing for someone to take her out. She was happy and awake and Charlie always wanted to play with her then.

Cooper held out his hand and Gretchen sniffed him as Don held her and still growled, but lowly. Don set her down and then dropped into a chair near the TV. Cooper joined him as they started to watch the hockey game that was on.

Espa came in wiping her hands on a towel. "Hello, boys." She said seeing Zephyr playing with Charlie on the rug. "Careful. She learned how to crawl today. She might get away."

Don looked over. "She can crawl?"

"The neighbor's granddaughter taught her." Espa shrugged. "She is not really good yet so she scoots on her bottom more than crawls, but…" She smiled at Don's face. "Don't worry. She will crawl to you." She smiled. "Can I get you a beer?" She asked them.

"I will take a coke." Charlie said as he playfully tickled his neice.

"Sure, Coop?" Don asked.

"If you would be so kind." He smiled at Espa.

She smiled and nodded. "Sure." She walked back and fetched the drinks. She returned with a tray with the beer, chips and salsa, and the coke for Charlie as well as a bottle of juice for Zephyr.

Zephyr became interested in something and she scooted toward Cooper. She then pulled on his leg and pulled herself to her feet. Don watched as Espa cracked open his beer and Cooper's as then she plopped onto her bottom.

Coop laughed and reached over and picked her up. It was then he saw what she had been after. She had spotted his keys. He pulled them out and she promptly put them in her mouth and chewed on them. He chuckled even as Charlie gasped.

"They need to be washed first and…"

Espa looked at him. His inexperience with kids amused her at times. "Charlie, it is fine. She will get nothing from them that she does not get from her toys." She smiled and handed him his coke.

Zephyr looked at her father as she gummed the keys in triumph. Coop bounced her.

Espa smiled after taking a swallow of her husband's beer. "How would you like you chops Coop?"

"Medium-rare." He answered looking up from making faces at the baby. Zephyr had the most adorable big brown eyes he had ever seen. It was like looking at a doe with her long eyelashes and her small face full of life and animation.

"And you Charlie?" She asked knowing her husband liked how she cooked meat. Full of favor with only a little bit of cooking to it, just enough to heat it through and kill anything on the surface.

"Medium, I guess. I have never had lamb." Charlie said.

"You are missing out buddy." Cooper said looking at him.

Alan walked in wearing a suit. Espa saw him fussing and she moved and swatted his hands away and fixed his tie for him. She had gotten rather good at it since been married to an FBI agent, just as he had gotten good at French braiding because his wife had long hair to play with.

"Where are you going?" Don asked him.

"He has a date with someone named Hilary." Espa said as she smiled. She leaned up and kissed his cheek. He had had a falling out with Donna because she had had to move back to care for her ill father. He had needed Espa's help to get him out the door again. He had been comfortable with Donna and a new person made him feel awkward.

"But Espa is making lamb." Don said.

"She is saving me some." Alan smiled. "And some of her mint sauce." He hugged her. "Wish me luck."

"Of course Dad." She kissed his cheek. "Enjoy yourself and have fun." She smiled acting as always the patient daughter who always knew what to say to calm him down. He nodded and kissed her cheek before going to the door. She walked him there as Zephyr looked at Cooper and laughed at his faces. Espa saw him out and after he was gone she leaned against the door and shut her eyes.

"Do you think it will go well?" Charlie asked

She shrugged. "Your mother wants him to be happy. All I can do is get him out the door until he decides he wants to go on a double date with Don and I." She looked at her husband. "Though that did not go so well last time."

"That was only because he had a very…sensitive woman who had pet ducks. After a bottle of wine and Terry and I leaving it went a lot better." Don said looking at her. "He enjoyed the last time Donna was here with us." He pointed out.

"That was Donna. He really liked her." She sighed and walked back toward the kitchen. Cooper passed Zephyr to her father as he rose up.

"I think she needs a change." He said grabbing his beer.

"Where are you going?" Don asked.

"Going to help if she needs it." Cooper said.

Don had learned to stay out of her way unless she was teaching him because with his lack of skill he was useless except to cut onions and such. He looked at his former partner skeptically as he then lifted the baby and went to her diaper bag nearby. It was faster than going upstairs to get a diaper.

He then dropped down onto the blanket where Charlie was sitting. He laid Zephyr down softly. She squirmed and started to fuss. She then rolled over. That was a new trick. HE caught her ankle and grabbed her and rolled her back. "Clever little Eppes." He muttered. He smiled at her and then handed her a chewing ring to distract her.

Charlie looked at him as Don expertly undid her little onesie and undid her diaper with a hand gently planted and rubbing the baby's tummy. She moved her chunky little legs as he lifted her and pulled the soiled diaper out.

Charlie watched his brother as he did this. "That is nasty." He said as Don wrapped up the diaper.

"No, actually it is not the bad." Don said. He gently cleaned her with a wipe and then grabbed a fresh diaper.

"Why aren't you doing that over there?" Charlie asked. And away from me, was implied.

"What? Would you like her on the rug? The blanket is far easier to clean." Don shrugged as he looked down at the tiny face with the big eyes watching him over the chew ring. He grabbed her ankles and lifted her up as he slid the diaper under her. He put the diaper on snuggly and then buttoned the onsie again. He bent and blew on her belly playfully getting a sharp laugh from his daughter as she kicked excitedly and squirmed onto her belly. He chuckled and sat up as the baby crawled over to Charlie. "Can you watch her a sec while I take this out?" He asked as he stood up.

"Sure." Charlie said as he reached for his little niece who smiled at him. He scooped her up. He looked at his

Don disposed of the diaper and then came back in. He went into the kitchen and found Cooper stirring a pot of something and Espa laughing at something he had said. Don went to the sink and washed his hands. "Smells good." He commented.

"Doesn't it?" Cooper beamed. "Donnie, I did not eat this good at home, let alone now. She is going to fatten me up to the point I won't be able to run people down."

"I am going all right." Don pointed out.

"Yeah, well not everyone runs two miles a day." Cooper said.

Espa opened the oven and let out a steam cloud of good smells. She pulled out the roasting pan with the chops on it. She smiled and started plating the food for everyone. She took two plates, Don took two, and Cooper took his beer into the dining room with the mint sauce he had been stirring.

Charlie got up and carried Zephyr into the dining room as Don retrieved his beer. He smiled as he bent and kissed his daughter's hand as Charlie passed her to Espa. Espa had a blanket and gently laid Zephyr back. The baby wiggled excitedly as she folded the blanket over her shoulder and the baby and lifted her shirt for the baby to nurse.

Espa then ate her potatoes and bread as she held the baby to her. Don sat next to her and smiled as he looked at her. "Do you need some help?" He asked.

"Yeah. Thanks." She said. He leaned over and cut the meat from the bone for her. The vegetables and salad were passed. Cooper had two helpings of everything he could enjoying the home cooked meal like a starved man.

Dinner was a pleasant affair. Don and Cooper talked about everything, but work. When everyone was done Cooper got up and helped Alan and Don do the dishes so Espa could sit and enjoy some time with Zephyr and the dog.

When they were done Don watched as his wife again sang to the baby, but it was not in English. He wondered if it was Basque, but it did not sound guttural enough to be.

'Sí do mhaimeo í, 'sí do mhaimeo í  
'Sí do mhaimeo í, cailleach an airgid  
'Sí do mhaimeo í, ó Bhaile Inis Mhóir í  
'S chuirfeadh sí cóistí ar bhóithre Cois Fharraige

Dá bhfeicfeá' an "steam" 'ghabhail siar Tóin Uí Loin'  
'S na rothaí 'ghabhail timpeall siar ó na ceathrúnaí   
Chaithfeadh sí 'n stiúir naoi n-vair' ar a cúl   
'S ní choinneodh sí siúl le cailleach an airgid

Sí do mhaimeo í, 'sí do mhaimeo í  
'Sí do mhaimeo í, cailleach an airgid   
'Sí do mhaimeo í, ó Bhaile Inis Mhóir í  
'S chuirfeadh sí cóistí ar bhóithre Cois Fharraige

Measann tú, 'bpósfa', 'measann tú 'bpósfa'  
'Measann tú, 'bpósfa', cailleach an airgid?  
Tá's a'm nach 'bpósfa', tá's a'm nach 'bpósfa'   
Mar tá sé ró-óg 'gus d'ólfadh sé'n t-airgead '

Sí do mhaimeo í, 'sí do mhaimeo í  
'Sí do mhaimeo í, cailleach an airgid  
'Sí do mhaimeo í, ó Bhaile Inis Mhóir í  
'S chuirfeadh sí cóistí ar bhóithre Cois Fharraige

Sí do mhaimeo í, 'sí do mhaimeo í  
'Sí do mhaimeo í, cailleach an airgid  
'Sí do mhaimeo í, ó Bhaile Inis Mhóir í  
'S chuirfeadh sí cóistí ar bhóithre Cois Fharraige

'S gairid go 'bpósfaidh, 's gairid go 'bpósfaidh  
'S gairid go 'bpósfaidh, beirt ar an mbaile seo  
'S gairid go 'bpósfaidh, 's gairid go 'bpósfaidh  
Séan Shéamais Mhóir agus Máire Ní Chathasaigh

Sí do mhaimeo í, 'sí do mhaimeo í  
'Sí do mhaimeo í, cailleach an airgid  
'Sí do mhaimeo í, ó Bhaile Inis Mhóir í  
'S chuirfeadh sí cóistí ar bhóithre Cois Fharraige

Sí do mhaimeo í, 'sí do mhaimeo í  
'Sí do mhaimeo í, cailleach an airgid  
'Sí do mhaimeo í, ó Bhaile Inis Mhóir í  
'S chuirfeadh sí cóistí ar bhóithre Cois Fharraige

Sí do mhaimeo í, 'sí do mhaimeo í  
'Sí do mhaimeo í, cailleach an airgid  
'Sí do mhaimeo í, ó Bhaile Inis Mhóir í  
'S chuirfeadh sí cóistí ar bhóithre Cois Fharraige

As per normal she had everyone in the Eppes household sitting and listening to the gentle song and also as per normal the baby was sleep in her mother's arms. Don smiled and came to take the baby from her. Zephyr hardly stirred as he carried her to the stairs and went up.

Billy Copper watched him and then watched as Espa went to grab two of his bags. "Espa…please…just show me where to go." He said grabbing all, but the smallest bag. She nodded and walked upstairs and took him to the solarium where a hide-a-bed was. She dropped the bag off and went to the linen closet and gathered him some sheets and a blanket for him. She then set about making the bed as he watched.

When she looked up at him. She then passed the towel set she had grabbed to him and smiled. "The bathroom is the last door to your left before the stairs. Is there anything else I can get you?" She asked pleasantly.

"No. Thank you." He smiled. "You are a very good hostess." He watched her retreat to what was most likely her and Don's bedroom he surmised.

Don was sitting on the bed waiting for her. He was t-shirt and jeans. He was leaning back against his arms on the bed as he looked up at her. "Hey there." He smiled

She smiled as she looked at him before going and starting to undress. They both heard the footfalls of Cooper going into the bathroom and then starting a shower. Espa sighed as she stood in her panties and bra a moment.

Don came up behind her and kissed her shoulder and wrapped his arms about her. "You are such a good woman. He would have been happy in his car you know."

"He should have better sometimes. What did you do together? He seems to know you fairly well."

"That is a closed part of my life. Man hunting that way is not savory and now that I have a family I will never go it again." He looked at her in the mirror. "I could not call for weeks on end. I do not miss it much."

She turned in his arms. "Good."

He kissed her and smiled as he pulled her against him. She jumped up in his arms and he held her about his waist her legs locking about him as he kissed her and held her around her back with her arms about his neck. After a few moments he went back to the bed and still kissing her laid her down on it to start a night of bliss in each others arms.

NUMB3RS

Espa woke up and made breakfast for the two agents before they headed out. She made pancakes, which Don ate all he could fit in him as did Cooper. Alan ate them as well. Espa finished muffins for Charlie and for Don to take in for David, Megan, and Colby. Well, if they lasted that long, he teased on the way out. She had playfully kicked his bottom.

Cooper and Don sent much of the day trying to track down the people that Harris was associated with to try and find him. They finally got a lead with some help from Charlie to have a search pattern. He was at a biker club with some of his neo-Nazi buddies. He was supposed to be there all week and was living nearby in an old apartment. Thank God, for snitches.

NUMB3RS

The next day, Cooper went in as a civilian with a wire. Inside the neo-Nazis were chanting and speaking a tone of Jewish and minority hatred. Don listened as did his team while Cooper took a drink and listened to the speech.

He came back out and talked to Don outside about how to take the man down. No girlfriend this time to bust him with, but there was a reason he was here. He was declaring war on the Jews and here was a good place to start.

Don then had the FBI rush in and bust everyone they could. Several had weapons, several got away, but most importantly they had Harris.

In the interview Harris refused to talk to anyone, but Colby and Cooper, the two white boys since Don was Jewish, David was black, and Megan was a woman. When asked about the families, he naturally denied everything, but he did say that he had had some teenagers asking about the gas chambers.

Don showed him a note that was left with the families. It matched a newsletter he had put out. Again the man denies it though he will not look at Don.

Don and Colby manage to flip the youngest kid against the others and Harris. Harris did plan it all and the kid had the plans drawn up in his room. David finds them there and so the kid gets two years.

Harris goes down for murder in the second degree for the families and also the first degree murder of a man he killed several years earlier that got him on the fugitive list. Cooper was glad. Another down, a few thousand to go.

The youngest gives up two more kids who are about to go after a third family. Don and his team get SWAT and got in for them. The two kids had just walked into the store where they were. Don and Cooper shot threw the glass as the two prepared to execute the family.

Don could only stand there after the family was checked out and wipe his face. This case had bugged him more than most did. Two entire families murdered, both Jewish and another nearly had suffered as well. Six kids had committed murder because a man had preached hate to them and the listened. And, he knew, taking down Harris would not disrupt the effort to down the Jews and the others.

NUMB3RS

Espa was home when the two agents came home. Cooper went up and packed as Espa held the baby to her in her sling.

Don helped him out to the suburban as Espa walked out. Cooper came back to her and hugged her gently. "Look after him." He said gently. "I will be back for more food Espa."

"The door is always open." She smiled. She touched his cheek. "Go on. Sooner you go, the sooner you will be back." She said and kissed his cheek.

He nodded. He pressed a kiss to her brow and then kissed the awake and watchful Zephyr who had been entertainment when she had been awake and he had been there. He sighed and walked to where Don was waiting by his car. "It is nice to have somewhere to think of as home like." Cooper said as he loaded the last of his stuff into the SUV. "I can see why you settled down."

"Yeah. Where are you off to now?" Don asked.

"Washington. A gun runner up there I have been following." He looked at Don and then back to Espa. "I envy you man. A wife, a baby, a family, a good cook…"

"You should try and get a job here and get yourself a wife and kid. It is a good thing Coop, I'm telling you." Don said.

"Maybe in a couple of years. I like it you know, but I still hope for a family some day. Keep good care of them, Donnie, you don't want to loose them."

"No." Don agreed. "Go on. Keep your head down." Don said taking his hand. Cooper shook it.

"See ya around." He said and got into his car. He drove down and then out. Espa and Don waved and he honked his horn before he went down the road.

Don looked at his wife. "You like him don't you." He said.

"He has an odd charm. Kinda like you." She smiled and patted his back. "I love you, you know." She told him.

He chuckled as she walked back into the house.

NUMB3RS

Zephyr was asleep and the Eppes men sat around with Espa playing video games and drinking beer, Don had scotch, and in Espa's case root beer. They had some good laughs, but the Charlie looked up as Espa went to refill the chip bowl.

"Can you sing for us?" He asked.

"Charlie…" Alan said in warning.

"It is fine." Espa said. She smiled at her husband. "I have been wanting to sing a song to him ever since I heard it." She smiled and started to sing the soft song that had all of their attention in moments.

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;  
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;  
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,   
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;  
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;  
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;  
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;  
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;  
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;  
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

There is no life - no life without its hunger;   
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;  
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,  
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;  
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;  
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;  
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;  
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;  
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;   
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

You raise me up: To more than I can be.

Don had tears in his eyes as did Alan. Don rose to his feet and went to his wife. "That was…uh, beautiful Espa." He hugged her to him. "I have never felt so…so…"

"Loved?" Alan asked.

"Yeah, loved." Don nodded and he looked into his wife's dark eyes. They smiled back at him with joy, love, and caring. His wife was a gift to him and he knew it. Cooper was right. LA was good for him and it was a good thing. He bent and kissed her as he held her.

Charlie looked down with a look and Alan smiled. He too had been moved by the song. It was something his younger son would not understand until he had married.


	28. Double Down

**Double Down**

52

Cards 

186,184

Combinations 

3

Players

1

Tell

Espa and Don Eppes had been at dinner with Susanne Bosman and her husband. They had just ordered dessert when Don was called into work. Espa was not surprised. It had been a rather slow work week for him and he was on call that night.

A kid had been shot in the back part of a casino parking lot near his car. David greeted Don on the scene. There had been three other robberies there before and there were cameras they hoped would show something.

There were several notebooks in a bag in the car. He was a Huntington Tech undergrad, named Yuri Chernov, a Russian Immigrant from Moscow, only nineteen. Young for a high roller. Wrong time for a study break.

NUMB3RS

Espa had a mid-morning class. After she was found by Charlie who wanted to show her something in the lecture hall he was preparing for his students. She came in and watched him as Larry and Amita joined them.

Espa looked at Charlie pulled on a disposable rain coat and pulled out some mentos and diet soda.

"Well, I've heard about this, but never actually seen it demonstrated." Larry said as he leaned against the lecture all professor's desk.

"My dad says it is fun." Espa said as she looked at Charlie acting like a kid as he got ready for it.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Amita asked.

"Oh, absolutely." Charlie said opening the bottle.

Espa looked up as she saw her husband coming down the ramp toward them. She smiled. "Hey, Charlie, I've been looking for you." Don said. "Guys…Honey…" He smiled as his wife came to stand at the base of the ramp. He gave her a quick kiss before going over to investigate what his brother was up to.

"Hey, hey, hey. Come on, come over here, man." Charlie said excitedly. "Um so this is for a lecture I'm preparing, 'Math and Molecules: An Introduction to Fluid Dynamics."

"It looks like mints and soda to me." Don said leaning over before stealing a mint to eat. He looked at the other four as he popped it in his mouth.

"Well, two words, surface tension." Larry said.

"The stuff that gives soda its fizz is a gas, carbon dioxide." Amita said. "What holds the gas inside is surface tension." Don nodded looking up at his wife who just shrugged at him.

"And we all know the importance of surface tension in fluid dynamics." Charlie said.

"We do?" Don said arching an eyebrow. Espa and Don shared another look.

"Bubbles of gas in the soda experience viscous drag force from the surrounding liquids." Charlie explained. "The mints hyper excite the thermodynamic equilibrium of the supersaturated CO2, weakening the surface tension, causing the gases to escape rapidly. Very rapidly!"

"But of course…" Espa said rolling her eyes at Charlie and then looking at her husband and using her finger to make a popping noise in her mouth. Don smirked.

"And you guys actually get paid for this?" Don asked.

Charlie chuckled as Larry smiled. "You know, despite your brother's adolescent grin, this is actually very sophisticated math here." Larry said.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to do this." Charlie said pulling up his hood. "Are you guys ready?"

"Step back." Larry said stepping back a few feet.

Espa went to her husband's side as Amita and he stepped back a few paces.

"Sure you don't need a permit or something for this?" Don asked watching as he stepped protectively in front of his wife a little as he leaned back sub-consciously protecting her. Amita cringed a little. Don took another step back tripping a bit on the chair as Espa put a hand on his shoulder and looked at display around him knowing he would pull her back if she stepped away from him.

"Okay." Charlie dumped in the mints and the soda exploded and the foam went up into the air about eight feet.

Espa looked up. "Wow…" She said moving to her husband's side as he wrapped an arm about her.

Charlie laughed and clapped. "Ha ha. Yeah!" He threw back his hood. "That's awesome."

"Yeah, that was pretty cool." Don said rubbing his wife's back as he walked forward. Amita and Espa chuckled. "So, uh, who cleans all this up now?" He asked looking at the mess on the counter as he walked forward to his brother.

Charlie shrugged. "I am…gonna…clean it. Probably…Later." He said looking as Espa walked forward. "Uh, I'm assuming you're not here for the show."

Don smiled a little and then turned to his file. "Um, yeah. This is Yuri Chernov who was actually a math student at Huntington Tech." He said bringing out a picture.

"Oh, they're got a brilliant undergrad program there." Larry said leaning in.

"Mmm-hmm…" Charlie said.

"Well, he was murdered last night and we found this in his car." Don continued as pulled out a book. Charlie sighed as he took it. "Though maybe you could figure out what it means." He said watching his brother and Larry.

"Those are probability calculations." Amita said. Espa looked over her husband's shoulder before dropping into a seat near them to watch them.

"I…I…I…if I could, these…these equations, they just seem a little familiar to me." Larry said reaching for the book.

"Have you worked with these equations?" Charlie asked.

"I…I don't know." Larry said lifting a hand. "If I could just examine them more closely." He started to walk away from the little group.

"All right, let me…let me just, uh, make a copy in your office?" Don said. They watched him flip through the pages.

"Hey, Larry?" Charlie said.

Larry stuttered something and then passed the book to Don who was holding out his hand. "I'll bring it right back. I'm gonna make a copy, all right?" He nodded to Espa to follow him so he could talk to her on the way there and back. He had not had time with her, other than her sleeping body when he had gotten home, and he wanted to check in with her. Whatever time he could get while on duty with her was treasured.

She followed him up the stairs and out into the hall as Larry stood there with a perplexed look on his face.

NUMB3RS

Megan talked to the girlfriend. Yuri was into gambling and liked playing the "player" role. She was not sure how she was going to tell them that Yuri was dead. Megan offered to help, but she wanted to do it alone.

Don and Megan went to the crime scene. Don had to bark at a cleaner to stop so they could think. Yuri was shot by a nine millimeter at close range. There were no casings found.

It felt different to them both from the robberies. A thirty-eight caliber was used before.

Colby and David came up with fake IDs from Yuri's dorm room. He had different looks in each one of the IDs. He was a strait A student and a math geek. It did not match the player role that he seemed to be playing.

The security cameras had nothing. The car was in a blind spot. Don sent David and Colby to look at the club's Eye in the Sky. They left to look into the tapes and other stuff at the crime scene.

NUMB3RS

Charlie, Larry, and Amita talked about the kid dying. Charlie somewhat blamed himself because of a lecture he gave on gambling.

Larry came out with that he was a card counting black jack stud. He recognized the books as calculations for black jack. He was caught at it and he knew what the clubs could do to people.

Charlie dragged him in to talk to Don about what he knew. He explained the strategy for fooling the house. A spotter was used to help out. The high roller looks for the numbers to play from the spotter.

Then a Latino kid came up with a girl. He played with the spotter as well. They had a whole card counting ring making a lot of money per night.

Outside David, Megan, and Don talked about the team. They needed to find the partners to prevent them being killed. David was sent to Huntington Tech to see if he could track down the other two kids. Megan told Don they needed to try to find the backer. Don agrees that the person was a suspect, but he also did not want to rule out the club. They could have gone after kids cheating them as well.

NUMB3RS

Colby and David sat down with the online face book from Huntington Tech. They could not get their heads around Larry, the player. They got two names. Jason Brewer from West LA and Ignacio Nadal from South America.

Megan talked to the manager of the club. He pointed out that they were cooperating. He told her that he would have escorted out the 'cheaters' or card counters. He would not kill them. He would not go to jail for a few hundred. Megan asked for the security personal files. He agreed.

David and Colby went to the Brewer's home. Jason had been living in the guesthouse. Inside there was a made up casino set up as well as calculation boards. There were disguises in a bag. The mother, who had let them in, did not know what it was all about, but she had known Yuri and Ignacio.

NUMB3RS

Colby gave the boards to Charlie. Charlie, Amita, and Larry sat in the Eppes living room, among the baby toys looking at the boards.

Espa was making pizza for them to eat as she held her baby to her side in the sling as she did. She had sent Alan to the market to fetch for her some peppers and sausage.

"Now, if I can take data here and isolate the student's gambling history, maybe I can analyze the money flow, maybe find a pattern." Charlie said.

"You could use multivariate time series analysis to break the money down by specific days, even hours." Amita said

Larry was studying the boards.

"That's a really good idea. Wow." Charlie said.

The door opened. Espa came out of the kitchen with Zephyr who was cooing and eating a baby cookie. She came out holding Zephyr.

"Once again my living room has become a CalSci annex, huh?" Alan asked. "Y…your living room." Alan said seeing Charlie's look

Espa smiled. Little Zephyr reached for her grandfather and he took her in his arms.

"My garage is full." Charlie said. "All my cognitive theory work, so…"

"Why am I not surprised?" Alan asked. He set down his bag and sat down to play with his granddaughter. "What is this?" He asked looking up from the floor as Espa took the groceries back into the kitchen.

"Well, the student who was murdered, he and his two friends were members of a card counting team." Amita said. "Don asked Charlie to have us look at this data to see if we could discover who was bankrolling them."

"Card counting. Isn't that called cheating?" Alan asked.

Everyone sighed.

"Card counting is not cheating. It is the application of probability theory to a game." Larry said.

Espa walked back into the room wiping her hands on a towel at her waist tucked into her apron.

"Yeah, well, all those schmucks who play the game for fun, they think it's cheating." Alan said looking at his granddaughter.

Charlie rolled his eyes.

"Well, those are the same schmucks that should stick to slot machines." Larry said.

"Well, you see, that's why I like to playing poker." Alan said. "'Cause I can handle the ones that try to take advantage. Poker, I mean, you gotta have a mind, a pair of eyes." He looked at his daughter-in-law. "Dinner smells good, honey." He smiled and walked to the table.

Espa smiled. "I am hoping Donnie can get here." She looked at the other three. "If not there will be extra for Larry."

Larry smiled at her. "These probability grids, they go way beyond simple high-low counting." Larry said.

"These were math students, Larry." Amita said.

"Oh, oh. This….this is not undergraduate work." Larry said.

"You're saying someone helped them?" Charlie asked.

"You know, this is reminding me of someone." Larry said. "There was this guy, Leonard, and he and I were in graduate school together. You know, when the casinos opened in Atlantic City, we were there the very first day. We were using counting systems, probability grids like this, though these are at a much higher level. Leonard Philbrick."

"Well, why haven't we heard this name before, Larry?" Amita asked.

"I don't…It's just not a…a part of my life that I'm particularly proud of." Larry said. "I mean, I've moved on from my obsession. But not so with Leonard. He lost his wife, he lost his career, and he was a man of great promise." He sighed. "I'll tell you something. Whoever did this was a mathematician." He said. "You can bet on that."

A buzzer went off in the distance. Espa got up. "Dinner is ready kids."

"Oh, good." Larry hopped up to follow her.

NUMB3RS

Morning had Don, David, and Colby walking into work. Ignacio's mother was reached, but he had missed his call home. Two kids were missing. Ignacio had cleared out of his dorm room before Colby and David could check it out. Two kids in the wind and in danger.

Charlie met up with them and had a name. Leonard Philbrick, the man Larry suggested. They think he might be the backer. Don started to send David and Colby to go check it out when he got a call that they had just found Jason Brewer.

Megan met them there. The kid was killed with a nine millimeter like Yuri in the bathroom. He had a book with him as well. Philbrick had bought him a ticket to Vancouver. No casings. The book had card sequence lists.

Megan and Don went to the high school where Philbrick taught math. He was the last one to see Jason alive. He wanted to see a lawyer, but they confronted him about his crew with the card counting. Don told him they had phone records talking to the three Huntington Tech undergrads. He was shocked the kids are dead. He had no idea where Ignacio was.

Don grilled him hard, but he did admit he helped them, but they had come to him. Ignacio was on the run. He backed them until a month ago. They had a new banker. He would not harm the kids. He was their teacher.

Megan and David met with Colby in the war room. Colby had spotted the girl on the arm of Ignacio. She had been with all the boys. She had a necklace that said Brandi with an I. Colby had found her place of work. She worked at the Bareback Club as the star attraction.

Megan set them to go to the club to talk to her.

David and Colby went to club. There were a ton of men there for the mid day. After her dance, which Colby insisted on, they grabbed Brandi. She was with them all to help them pull off their act. She knew because no one was that was lucky. She had told them they would get made. She got money. She does not seem to be really a suspect because she was with another man, a married man. Also she was shocked when she was told that Jason and Yuri had been killed.

NUMB3RS

After a talk with Larry and Amita in the lecture hall, Charlie went to the FBI and met Don and Megan in the war room. Follow the money. The backer was using the casino to launder the money. The kids never got more than 10,000 a night, but played for six or seven a week. It did not have to be reported. In total that was over two million washed through the club.

Charlie, Amita, and Larry went to the club to do field work in the 'poppy field'. They all had fun, but Larry made a ton of money, but it was addictive for him. He wanted to keep playing long after the other two were done.

The club put in a new deck at the end of every shift change to keep players from marking the cards. The shoe made random patterns of cards, but a machine could not make truly random patterns. It could be broken.

NUMB3RS

Don had taken his wife out to dinner to make up for him leaving her with her friends. The dinner was quiet and they enjoyed each other's company. Being married to an FBI agent, Espa knew that it would not be an easy home life, but she loved her husband dearly and he her.

They came home to find the house free of everyone. Zephyr was next door with the neighbor until they picked her up or Alan did.

Don smiled as he locked the door. His wife was stripping clothing as she walked up the stairs. He smirked as he gathered it up and followed her. She walked into the bathroom and started the water running.

Her husband leaned against the door watching her as she got in and started a bubble bath. He walked into the bedroom and put the clothing in the hamper. He removed his tie, shirt, and slacks and pulled on a pair of FBI sweats.

He smiled as he heard the water turn off. He walked back to the bathroom and shut the door as he leaned against it looking at his wife. The bubbles swirled about her breasts as she turned to look at him her hair piled onto her head with a large toothed double munchie.

She looked up at him. "Hello there." She smiled looking at his well muscled chest with the small bit of hair. She smiled as he came forward and dropped to his knees beside her.

"Hello." He smiled and reached for the wash cloth. He gently washed her back and neck with a tenderness she knew he had, but she knew few people knew. He was not the total hard-assed boss special agent to the FBI, at least not all the time. He did, however, like to be in charge and that never changed. He was master of the office and bedroom and she liked it that way. It kept their sex lives fresh and fun.

He bent and kissed her neck as his hand wandered down and he caressed her causing her to shiver even in the hot water. "Are you enjoying?" He asked knowing the answer before she could nod. He smiled a little as his hand moved between her legs and caressed her. She looked at him startled as she felt a bolt of pleasure and her legs shifted on their own.

"Don…" She whispered.

"Just relax and let me do the work." He grinned as he playfully strummed her like an instrument in tune to the music he was playing. They locked eyes as she quivered beneath him. There were times he could be very cruel.

She gasped as her peak came. He then decided he needed her, NOW! "Don…" She gasped as he reached in and fished her out with a heave, splashing water on himself and the floor.

He smiled and kissed her as he stood her up on the rub. His eyes swirled with love and lust as he dried her a little before lifting her again in his arms.

"Don…I need to…wash my hair…" She said trying to struggle, but only lightly

"You would just have to wash it again." He smiled as he carried her into their bedroom and locked the door after playfully tossing her on the bed. He looked at her naked body like a leopard looked at an antelope. She crawled up the bed watching his predatory gaze as he walked toward her.

NUMB3RS

Don woke the next morning to a rumpled bed, his wife sleeping on her side, and the empty bottle of whipping cream on the night table. He smirked. The best dessert he had had in a while was whipping cream licked from his wife's belly button as she squirmed under him because it tickled her.

He went to work after a quick breakfast with Alan who had had the baby in his room. He had not realized if and when his elder son had come home. Don was not about to tell him either.

The team was in the war room with Charlie as Charlie wrote on the board. The book found was card counting cheat sheets. The shoe they had at Jason Brewer's home was used to do shuffle-tracking. They looked at the mechanism. They also had figured out the adding of the new cards at shift change.

Megan found out that Philbrick had made the algorithm for the shoe. That proved that they were cheating and the club motive to kill them.

Don had Philbrick brought in. Marius, the manager knew because he had caught them. Marius went to Philbrick and demanded a share. Philbrick told them he had connections to drug traders on the east coast. He saved himself and the kids and did the money laundering.

Robberies were a cover for Yuri's murder, they followed Jason, and Ignacio was next. The killer did not want witnesses

Don and David went to the club and found Marius dead. That makes him free of the killings.

Charlie noticed that the parking was wrong. Yuri got there at the beginning of the afternoon. There was no reason for his car to be back in a blind spot unless he was being set up.

Don and Megan went to the club again and spoke to the valet. When threatened the kid said that a man with Yuri had him park his car in the back for five hundred dollars. The killer was Ignacio. They had one witness left to go after.

Colby and David went to warn Philbrick. They followed Philbrick to his car and arrested Ignacio before he could kill Philbrick. Ignacio bet wrong and was now going down for killing his friends and Marius.

NUMB3RS

Espa was at the FBI with Larry. She had been the only one he could find to answer her phone. She had been in her office and so she drove them. There was something Larry wanted to do, but he needed backup. Espa was willing to help.

Leonard Philbrick gave his statement to Don and was on his way out when Larry walked towards him with Espa standing with him.

"Well, I see once again you've escaped all responsibility for your actions. Oh, Leonard, you must be very proud of yourself." Larry said.

"Larry Fleinhardt." Philbrick said. "And who is that with you? A new wife?" He asked.

"No. I am a friend." Espa said speaking for herself.

"Well, what's it been, twenty-five years?" Philbrick asked.

"Twenty-two, Leonard." Larry said.

"I see your name in journals." Philbrick said. "Academic life has treated you well."

Larry shrugged. "Well enough."

"What are you doing here?" Philbrick asked looking from Larry to Espa and back.

"I'm just waiting on you. How could you do it? You know what the game did to us." Larry said. "How could you visit such a fate upon young gifted minds?"

"Those kids came to me." Philbrick said.

"And instead of sharing your wisdom, two are dead and another's going to prison." Larry said.

"These kids were a second chance for me." Philbrick said. "Come on." He scoffed. "Don't tell me you don't remember what it felt like to beat the house at their own game. You were the best I ever saw, Fleinhardt, and you just walked away."

"That's right. And I never looked back." Larry said. "When the number are running you, instead of you running the numbers, its time to take your money off the table, Leonard."

"Men make choices they have to live with." Philbrick said straightening to his full height.

"Well, you know, I know two who will never get that chance." Larry said. He looked at Espa and turned around putting his hands in his pockets.

She walked up to him and rubbed his back looking back at Philbrick. "And you are a better man for it all Larry." She told him softly.

He looked up at her and smiled a little. "Thanks."

NUMB3RS

Don came home about eight at night. He had grabbed a quick bite to eat out with the team since Espa, Charlie, Larry, and Alan were munching on leftovers in the fridge.

Don came in and found Larry sitting on the floor clapping for Zephyr to come to him. She crawled over and smiled at him as he pulled her into his arms and playfully bounced her.

Don chuckled as she saw her father and squirmed to go to him. He picked her up and tossed her a little making her squawk in pleasure. Then he passed her to her mother who was ready to nurse her as he went into the kitchen to get a beer.

Espa sat down at the table as Larry joined her next to her.

Don walked back in holding two beers. "So Philbrick cut a deal. Two years probation." He said clinking his bottle with Larry as he went to lean against the wall. His wife came over lifting her face towards him. He smiled and gave her a kiss and rubbed her back softly.

"He got lucky." Alan said.

"Yeah." Don nodded.

"Oh, yeah, if you wanna call it that." Larry said. Don opened his beer with a hiss as his wife stood with him. "Again, I apologize for not coming forward sooner."

"Ah, it's all right." Don said waving his hand. He watched his wife take a sip of his beer as she stole it from him before passing it back. She nodded. It was a bit better than his normal selection. But then she was spoiled having lived in Germany and Austria where beer was religion.

"No I was…I was tormented. I was mortified." Larry continued.

"Look, you stepped up ultimately." Don shrugged.

"Larry, do…do you realize that without your help we would have never figured out those students were money laundering." Charlie said.

"Yeah, not to mention giving Charlie, uh, a taste of real action at the tables." Alan said.

"And that is a good thing?" Espa asked.

"Hey, what are we talking about blackjack for? Let's play a real game." Alan said.

"A real game?" Don asked.

"Like what Cribbage?" Espa asked. She looked at her husband. "Though that is our game."

"Poker!" Alan smiled. "Where all the math in the world is useless against a good read, and steady nerves."

"Oh I am so out of that." Espa said seeing Charlie's look of excitement.

"You know what? I have had enough action to last a lifetime. Besides, poker is for professional card players and underemployed celebrities." Larry said.

Charlie waved him off.

"Yeah." Don chuckled. "I'm out, too, actually. Last time I played with you, I ended up eating mac and cheese for a week." He smiled at his wife holding their baby girl. "And I have a family now I have to think about." He smirked at Charlie. "Come on. We'll go sit outside, you can tell me about the gambling days." He clapped Larry on the back. "You comin'?" He asked Espa.

She nodded. "In a sec."

"I guess it's you and me." Alan said.

"Texas Hold 'em. No limit." Charlie said.

Espa whistled as she pulled out a burping cloth.

"What do you say we bet the house?" Alan asked.

Charlie smiled as Espa blinked and walked back to the door. ""You're not…You're not serious about betting the house?"

"I'm always serious." Alan said.

Espa shook her head and went to join her husband and Larry out on the porch. She dropped onto Don's legs with a smile and a grunt from him as he looked at her. "Well?" He asked.

"It will be a while and we may have a different owner." She smiled at him.

He chuckled and kissed her.


	29. The Running Man

**The Running Man**

10,000

Meters

12.9

M.P.H.

1

Finish line

22:37:10

Minutes

Esperanza Eppes was making her way to the Student Union Building from the Liberal Arts building. She had just finished a class and it was nearing sunset and she needed to get back home. It was Alan's day to cook and she wanted some time with Zephyr before it was time to eat.

She rounded the corner when a young man staggered out of the biology building. He was holding his head and he dropped to his knees as if stunned. He looked about. It was then she saw the blood dripping through his fingers.

She went to him and dropped to her knees. "Hey, easy." She gently set her bag down and laid him back. "Are you all right?"

"No…" He whispered looking about as though he were trying to get his bearings and failing.

Espa pulled out her phone. "Yes, this is Esperanza Eppes at Cal-Sci. I have a wounded student. He is conscious, but only barely and bleeding. Please send an ambulance. Thank you." She said. She reached into her bag and pulled out a burping cloth for Zephyr she had for emergencies and pulled on a pair of gloves. "Let me see." She said as she lowered his hands and gently looked at the wound. Head wounds always bled more than they should.

He looked up at her. He winced. "Ouch…that hurts." He muttered in a eastern accent she could not place.

"Sorry. What's your name?" She asked as she pressed the cloth down.

"Ron Allen." He said. "You're a doctor? Boy am I lucky."

"I am not a medical doctor, just trained in First Aid. I am a professor here." He winced as she pressed a little hard and tried to move away. She clicked her tongue. "Hold still Ron." She sighed. "My name is Espa."

"Nice to meet you, though it I wish it were under different circumstances." He said.

"Yeah." She said hearing a siren going off in the distance.

"You need to get the cops." He said softly. "The man hit me with a gun and they…they took the DNA Synthesizer."

"A what?"

"It makes DNA." He said and closed his eyes.

"Hey stay with me Ron." She said shaking his shoulders a little. "I will call my husband. He will know what to do." She said pulling out her phone again.

NUMB3RS

Thirty minutes later Colby and David were there talking to the kid as the ambulance paramedic stitched his head. Espa stood nearby watching. She had already told them what she knew from what he had said. They wanted his story from his lips.

"I come in to calibrate the synthesizer for the morning tests. I walk in, I see two guys pushing it down the hall." Ron told David and Colby. "And I turn around and there's another guy there with a gun, and he cold cocks me."

"Was the weapon a shotgun, a handgun, maybe a rifle?" David asked.

"No, it was a nickel-plated Beretta." Ron said. "It was a nine millimeter."

David's eyebrow's lifted.

"You know a lot about guns." Colby said.

"You grow up in South Philly, you see your share." Ron said.

"Could you recognize the burglars if you saw them again?" David asked.

"The guy with the gun." Ron said. "The other two guys were pretty far away. I'd definitely try."

"I'll be right back." David said.

"Okay." Colby nodded.

He had seen Espa go to talk to Amita, Charlie, and Larry. She hugged her brother-in-law and smiled. He got there before she had spoken anything other than a hello and took Charlie's hand and then Larry's.

"So…so how is Ron?" Larry asked.

"He won't be wearing a tight hat anytime soon, but he's fine. Espa found him staggering about when she got done with a class. He was walkin' in, the burglars were comin' out and kind of walked right over him. You guys know him?" David asked.

"Yeah. Ron works with us." Amita said. "He's one of Larry's assistants at the LIGO project."

When David and Espa arched their brows Larry nodded. "Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory. It's…We measure ripples in space-time trying to prove the existence of black holes…"

"It's been said that he's the, uh, the next Charlie Eppes." Charlie said.

"Oh, God, just what we need." Espa teased.

"What was stolen?" Amita asked.

"It was a Mark V DNA Synthesizer." David said looking at his paperwork. He watched as Charlie sighed and rubbed his face. "It's that serious?"

"Yeah. A DNA synthesizer has many functions, most of them positive, genetic analysis, anthropological study." Larry said

"But it's also used to sequence microorganisms, invertebrate vectors of infectious diseases, bacterial pathogens." Charlie said softly.

"Wait a minute, Charlie." David said. "You're saying this thing could make a disease?"

"No, it can't really make them." Amita corrected. "But with the DNA and protein sequence data it contains, it could customize them."

"And by customize, you mean…" David could not finish that thought.

Charlie swallowed. "Weaponize."

Espa gasped. She looked at them. "Why is it that boys' toys always get more expensive as they grow older and can hurt people when in the wrong hands…?"

NUMB3RS

Meanwhile inside the lab Megan and Don were looking about. The burglars had come in through the roof through the air ducts. They also had jammed the passive infrared sensors with hot and cold at the same time. The obviously knew what they were after. The locks on the machine were only unlockable with a bio-metric iris scanner. No sign of forced entry on the doors that required a card.

They came out and found Espa sitting with Charlie. She cocked her head at her husband. "Well?" She asked.

"You didn't see anyone come out did you?" Don asked. "I mean the thing was pretty big." He looked at her hopefully.

She shook her head. "No. I found the kid and was concentrating on him sorry."

"It's okay." Don said. "You might have ended up the same or worse." He sighed. "Well, they are running down information for us and should have it by morning. Come on I will take you home." He said and held out his arm.

She nodded and they walked together with Charlie behind watching Espa as she held Don's arm and leaned against him a little as she spoke to him softly so Charlie could not hear.

NUMB3RS

Morning had Charlie in the office with the team telling them about the Mark V. It could be used as a weapon of bio-terrorism. It was not just be theft, but espionage. They needed to find it before it got to the black market.

Charlie explained the algorithm of the bio-metric scanner and that if you knew the math you could break it and obviously someone had with the five professors who could open it alibied for the time of the robbery. Someone like the kid who was attacked. He was alibied for the heist, but he could have been in on the planning. It was worth checking out anyway.

NUMB3RS

Espa was at home. She had finished her morning class and was in the back yard. She had put Zephyr down for a nap and now was dressed in a sport's bra and yoga pants. She had her Ipod on and was listening to Rammstein.

Alan watched from the window a moment as she moved about in what appeared to be shadowboxing. She was very limber and moved in ways he could have only dreamed of when he was younger.

He shook his head and made himself some coffee and started water boiling for her since she would want some tea when she got back inside.

NUMB3RS

Ron Allen was brought in and questioned. He seemed not to be surprised that he was there. He grew up poor and was the usual suspect since he was young. He admits that selling the Mark V would be good for him, but he would never do it. He had come too far to.

Megan and David spoke about it after. David having been there did not buy it so much. If you wanted to polish yourself you would distance yourself from it.

David and Colby went to go see Doug Windham. He was an ex-con with the knowledge of breaking into places and he was also the guy to get the tools. He knew about the sensors and how to jam them, but the bio-metrics were past his time.

NUMB3RS

Back at the office Don sent Colby to do a phone dump to look at the calls he had gotten for the last three months since something like this would need time to set up.

On the interview list for Cal-Sci there were more than half done.

"What do you make of this Ron Allen kid?" Don asked Megan as they sat in their work stations.

"Well, his life story would make a hell of a movie." Megan said.

"Uh, remake of _The Wrong Man_, perhaps?" Larry said coming over to them. He stood with Espa behind him. He had brought her as back up since he was very distort over the whole affair and she could stand up to Don when she needed to. As normal, however, she was just in the background.

She smiled at the group. "Hey."

"Hey." Megan nodded.

"The administration is asking me and other project managers to suspend Ron from all lab work till your investigation is completed." Larry said

"Well, that might be a good idea, Larry." Megan said. "The theft of a DNA synthesizer is not a simple one. In the hands of a hostile government it could be used to create an avian flu virus. This could be one of the worst WMD threats our country has faced."

Espa looked at her husband and walked over to lean against his desk. He gently patted her thigh as the both listened to Larry trying to defend the kid.

"Listen, I appreciate the seriousness of this theft, but now, to my knowledge you have no evidence that links Ron to this…this crime." Larry said.

"Hey, Larry, this is an ongoing investigation here." Don said finally speaking up looking up at him.

"You are casting a black cloud over a young man who's faced stupendous odds." Larry said. "A young man whose promise at such a young age, it's incalculable."

Don sighed and looked at his wife who rolled her eyes a little indicating she had heard this far more in the car.

"A young man who isn't real." David said coming our of the war room. He held a file and came forward as everyone looked up. "Did a deeper background check into Ron Allen." He passed the file to Don. "Born in Philadelphia, August 24th, 1987. Died, November 21, '87. He said looking up at Larry. Larry's mouth dropped in shock. "The kid you think Ron Allen is, Larry, he doesn't exist." He shrugged.

Espa was on her feet brushing passed her husband as he looked at the file. She gently laid a hand on Larry's shoulder as he put a hand to his mouth in shock. "Come here. You need to sit down." She looked over. "Don can we use the break room a moment?" She asked looking at him.

"Sure." He nodded looking up at her.

She led Larry who was walking like a zombie there. She poured him some coffee and added some splenda and cream and set it before him as she sat next to him. "Drink it. It will help."

Don came to the door and knocked. Espa looked up and she came to it. "How's he doing, sweetheart?" He asked softly as he touched her cheek. He had noticed Larry had not looked up even.

"He doesn't know what to think Don." She said softly as she reached up and straightened his tie a little in a nervous motion of her hands.

He nodded. "Can you take care of him?" He asked. "Get him home and something to eat?" He sighed. "How could he defend someone like that?" He asked.

"He didn't know." She said softly. "He was so well fooled." She looked at him. "I will take him home in a minute when his legs are steady." She leaned up and pressed a chaste kiss to his mouth. "I'll see you tonight for dinner, huh?"

"Yeah." He said as he watched her retreat back into the room. Espa was a good mother, even to those who did not really need a mother, but a comforting shoulder to cry on at times. He shook his head and went back to work.

NUMB3RS

Megan and Colby went to Ron Allen's dorm room. There was no sign of the kid anywhere. In the room there was stuff from everything on the map. And none of it was more than a couple of years old. The room was too typical for a college student.

They were able to trace his phone because he paid it on time. The GPS said he was in the bookstore. They went there and did not see him so they called the phone. The phone was in the hands of a punk dressed girl. She said the phone belonged to her boyfriend, who she pointed out from a picture was Ron Allen, but to her his name was Phil Stark. She told him he was letting her use his phone and he was going on a camping trip in the desert.

NUMB3RS

Don came home at about six. Espa had just finished dinner when he walked in the door. Everything was set. He removed his jacket and tie with a sigh. He looked down as he felt something on his shoe and pulling on his pant leg. He smiled seeing little Zephyr trying to use him as a climbing gym.

He bent with a grunt and picked her up in his arms. She smiled and gurgled at him. He wondered why she had not started talking small words yet. Momma and Daddy, seemed to be well within her scope, but she did not seem to want to even try yet.

He sighed and put her in her high chair and put on her bib. She smacked the plastic tray playfully making noise.

Espa came out with a hot dish and looked at her daughter. "Na du? Was machst du dann?" She asked in German. She smiled at the baby laughed at her and did it more. She set down the pot on a trivet.

Don smiled and wet upstairs to change into a long sleeve shirt and jeans that were more comfortable. He returned and saw Espa playing peek-a-boo with his daughter who tried to mimic her in her own way. Her husband walked up behind her and wrapped his arms about her body as he kissed her neck as she straightened.

"I love you." He whispered as he caressed her hips and then up and gently turned her head so he could kiss her mouth. "How are you?" He asked when he let her go, but he continued to caress her jaw.

"Good." She said. She smiled at him. They just looked at each other a moment while their daughter chewed on her bib a few moments until Charlie and Alan came in from the garage.

Don let her go, but let his hand rub down her arm to her palm. He smiled as he dropped into his seat as she disappeared into the kitchen. She brought out a pitcher of water and some biscuits for them.

They ate in silence as Espa took a little portion of the casserole and cooled it for little Zephyr. Zephyr ate it in her small bites along with some small bites carrots Espa had cooked for her with some sugar.

Alan smiled. "Well, apparently my granddaughter does not like baby food?" He asked watching Espa a moment.

"No." Don smiled. "You try feeding it to her. She throws it at you. She likes our food." He chuckled watching his daughter munching a carrot against her gums.

As the dinner wore down to them eating in silence again, Charlie wanted to talk to Don about the case.

"So is he Phil Stark, or is he, you know Ron Allen?" Charlie asked.

"No, that's the thing. He's Phil to his girlfriend, he's Ron Allen to the people at Cal-Sci." Don said. "There's no fingerprints on the guy anywhere." He leaned back and put his arm about Espa's chair.

"Well, at least you know one place not to look for him." Alan said.

"Yeah, well, we got a lot of real estate to cover and not a lot of time." Don said and then he sighed as he rubbed his wife's far shoulder. He looked down and saw Gretchen picking up any scraps the baby threw or dropped to the floor. "It's bad enough that synthesizer's out there, we don't know what the guy knows, or whose hands he's gonna put it in."

"You know, Larry's devastated." Charlie said.

"Larry." Don scoffed and threw his napkin on the table. He rose and gathered a couple of plates and then went into the kitchen.

"Isn't it funny the people who are closest to us, they always find it easy to keep secrets?" Alan said.

"You know, it's interesting you say that, because I don't recall you ever telling me that Mom was a published composer." Charlie said. He fetched his school bag and brought out some compositions.

Espa lifted up Zephyr and carried her to her sling and let it rock her. She fully intended that her baby would fall asleep soon. She walked back and sat down as Don came back into the room.

"W…what…what is this?" Charlie asked showing Alan the papers.

"Where did you find this?" Alan asked.

"I found it in the garage." Charlie said.

"What, Mom?" Don asked taking it to look at it.

"Yeah, see? Margaret Mann." Charlie said pointing.

Espa looked over her husband's shoulder.

"Oh." Don sat down as his wife leaned against the chair looking as he flipped through the pages.

"Yeah. Your mother, she was a very talented musician." Alan said. He sighed. Don looked up startled. He met Charlie's gaze. "She even had an offer to study in Vienna."

"What are you talking about? No way." Don said.

"Hmmm." Alan said nodding.

"Oh, that's why all those piano lessons with the…the nightmare woman…" Don said rubbing his hand across his eyes. Espa looked at Alan who smiled at her.

"Uh, Petri dish with the lozenge breath." Charlie said.

"Mrs. Petrie." Don smirked.

Alan chuckled.

"You know, one time she filed my fingernails for me." Charlie said holding up his hands.

"Wait, hold on. Why didn't she ever play?" Don asked. "Did you ever see Mom play that piano?"

"Well, she has to make the choice between the law and music. And when she made the choice, then music was a closed issue." Alan said rising to start working on the dishes.

Dona and Charlie looked at each other a moment. Espa's hands rested on Don's shoulders, rubbing them gently as she looked over his head at the papers before him.

"Except it wasn't." Charlie said. Alan froze at the kitchen door. "T…these…these compositions are dated through the '80s, through the '90s." He pulled out papers for Don to look at. Espa looked at Alan who looked suddenly sad. "I mean, I think she was writing music up until…you know…"

Alan came back and looked at the paper Don held. "No, I didn't know." He said softly.

Charlie and Don looked at each other. Espa coughed a little and gently directed Alan into the kitchen. "Come on dad. Let's have some tea and talk." She said looking at Don meaningfully.

He took the hint and gathered Charlie to go watch TV and play with Zephyr so she would go to sleep.

NUMB3RS

David and Colby were up bright and early checking into Gino McGinty, an associate of Windham's who sold the stolen stuff for him. He had a long rap sheet and the guy had connections to foreign black markets. He was a guy to watch.

At Cal-Sci Larry was still in shock as he spoke to Amita and Charlie in his LIGO lab. He was a fraud, but the young man knew how to use the equipment. Charlie pointed out that they did not see Ron at all. They just saw the waves he made.

Charlie went to the FBI and met the team in the war room. He had done some checking and found that Ron Allen was like a snake. He had move from place to place in large projects gaining experience a he went. The machines he knew how to use showed he had learned them from somewhere, ripples in his life. Charlie used a new set of ripples. Ron Allen was into track.

They found Ron Allen's track. University of Hawaii had Paul Combs who said he grew up on a Wyoming Ranch and was a B student. He left there was a theft of seven grad worth of computer equipment. Next was Henry Viera, going to Duke, he said this time he grew up on an Alaskan fishing boat. He was a better student and a better runner. His disappearance is tied with the theft of fifteen thousand dollar electron microscope. Allen Donaldson was at MIT and introduced the kid from the street story. Star student and star runner, but he was gone with a mass spectrometer that was worth more than forty thousand. All of these were Ron Allen before. Now to find him before he got a new target.

Ron Allen steals the identity of a guy in another state. He used the birth certificate to get a driver's license and a social security card. That would fit their spy theory, but the stuff he stole had value, but was not sensitive enough to be a risk.

Don poses that the thefts were not an end, but a means. Live the same life over and over, but get better every time. Like a junkie getting by to his next fix, but his high is from the celebrity he got for his work. The synthesizer was a bigger deal because he needs a bigger fix to get the same high.

Gino McGinty's wiretap was lucky. The caught him saying he was going to move a big piece of equipment in the afternoon.

NUMB3RS

Larry came over to talk to Charlie. He was feeling better now that he realized that everyone had been fooled by Ron Allen. Charlie was a little jealous of Ron Allen being able relive his dream.

Alan asked if they wanted lunch. He was expecting Espa and Zephyr home from the doctor at any moment. He saw all the instruments lying about. Charlie explained that was the deal with Margaret. If he continued to make instruments he could quit piano. To Alan it was an early sign that parenting Charlie would be challenging.

Charlie realized that she must have been disappointed that he and Don did not like the piano. He thought maybe that is why she kept writing and she hid it. Alan knew she had been hiding it from him not the boys. She told Alan that music was not a serious option for her because Alan had supported her through her law school and then she had to support him in grad school. She gave up something she really loved for something she loved more.

NUMB3RS

Colby and David go with a raid team and bust the man. They find the synthesizer ready to be shipped overseas. They arrest the man and bring him to the office.

Don interrogated Gino. The buyer was Cuban. Don pointed out they had him on selling a bio-terror weapon to an enemy state. That was life in the worst maximum security prison known for treason. Don knows he set him up with a crew and that he sent him to Windham to get him the tools he needed.

Gino pointed out he was the middle man. He had no idea what it was. He bought it for fifty thousand and asked no questions. He knows Windham was too greedy to set up some kid for a short pay out.

Don raided Windham's place and found Windham dead. Fingerprints match Ron Allen's dorm room prints. They must have gotten in a fight. The foreman said they were missing a portable plasma cutter that burned through metal like butter.

Back at the office Charlie explained the mechanics of the portable cutter and that Ron Allen could walk right through any door put up in front of him. Now to find his target. Megan thinks whatever it is it will be big to save his ego.

David found out that his name was Wesley Shryer from Wheaton, Illinois. A cop there recognized an older photo of Ron Allen because they went to high school together. He told David that Wesley was 'average to the point of forgettable.' He went to community college for two years and then dropped off planet earth in '95. Just before he appeared at University of Hawaii.

That evening Larry was over at the Eppes family home with Amita. Espa was making spaghetti and had invited him to stay for dinner. Charlie and Larry talked about Ron's research ability. Charlie then realized through what Ron worked on in his years that the LIGO lab was Ron Allen's target. Larry was horrified.

Don and Colby went into the lab with Larry. Nothing appeared to have been taken. One sapphire was there and the other was in the LIGO tunnel. David and Megan saw two men digging in the track field. Larry realized that they were breaking into an arm of the tunnel because there was no security there and the sapphire was near to it.

Ron and another guy were in the tunnel. David and Megan shot one guy on the surface and the other gave up. The second man with Ron gave up, but Ron ran down the tunnel looking for an escape route. Don knocked him when he tried to open a door an cuffed him.

Back at the office Ron admitted to all he had done and pointed out that he had done it because they would not take him into the colleges because he did not have a hard luck story. David lectured him about actually growing up on the streets.

NUMB3RS

Charlie and Alan talked in the garage about life. Alan had been angry about Margaret hiding her music from him as he had told Espa, but he had worked through it.

Espa was inside putting the baby to bed. She had just finished bathing her. Don walked in. "Hello?" He called. "Dad?" He took a breath. "Espa?"

"Upstairs, Don. I'll be down in a bit." Espa called as she left the bathroom.

He smiled and walked in holding the six pack he had bought and he looked at the music on the table.

Music drifted into the garage. It was slow and hesitant at first and then gained momentum. Alan and Charlie listened amazed at the simple beauty of it.

Espa smiled as she came down the stairs and into the dining room. Don was playing the piano. She beamed and walked to him. She listened closing her eyes. She then took a breath and wrapped her arms about his shoulders and held him as he played. He smiled and leaned back against her as he played his mother's music.

To all the Eppes family, a part of Margaret Eppes had returned to the home and lived on in the simple music that was being played.


	30. Numbered Days

**Numbered Days**

1

Party

36

Guests

5

partners

No

cure

Espa watched her class file out after her lecture on 'Modern Iraq and Politics' for her Islam and Nationalism class.

Don walked down the ramp to where she was erasing and talking to two spiky haired youths. On was wearing make-up and the other was wearing tight girl jeans as they spoke to Espa about their papers.

"Kyle here is yours. One of your better papers." Espa said smiling. "And Greg here is yours." She smiled. "Also very good. Your thoughts on the Saddam were intriguing."

"When are you going to come to the club Dr. U?" The first one, Kyle, said with a smile.

Don noticed the second looking at him. Espa followed his eyes and smirked. "I have a baby at home and a husband to keep tabs on me." She smiled and nodded. "Meet my husband Don."

Don took their hands and smiled. "Nice to meet you gentlemen. If you don't mind." He said gathering up her book bags. "I need to gather my wife and take her to lunch before my meeting this afternoon."

Greg looked at Espa and smirked. "I can see why you are still married." He said looking Don up and down. He took Kyle's hand and they walked off toward the door. Don watched them go and then sighed.

"The hell was that?" He asked. "Did you see how that kid looked at me?"

"I look at you that way."

"You hardly ever look like you are going to eat me."

"He wasn't going to eat you. Maybe jump your bones if you let him…" She giggled at his look. "Oh, come now. Surely, your gay-dar was pegged with them."

"I think they broke the needle." He said eyeing her. "And you talk to them? What is this about the club?"

"The Rainbow. They both work there. They have gotten me to go twice."

"What, when?"

"Before I met you, my love." She smiled and took his arm. "Now you were staying about lunch and whisking me off…" She leaned up and kissed him.

He deepened the kiss. He had not had a kiss from her in about twelve hours and he needed the feel of her body. He pulled her two him possessively and kissed her as his hands moved up and removed her hair clip. He shook her hair out liking it long about her shoulders so he could play with it.

She panted and pushed him back. "Careful." She warned. "The next class might have a thrill. They are freshmen and they would not know what to make of me pressed down on the lecture table with my husband against me and in me."

He smirked. "Why? I thought you were pro sex education." He caressed her back as they began to walk.

"I am. Giving out condoms and such. I am not really in favor of a bunch of kids watching my husband make love to me in ways they had never realized they could."

"Hardly, teenage boys have a lot of imagination." He smiled and she swatted him playfully.

"And you would know about this?" Espa asked taking his hand.

He laughed. "Of course. Why do you think I am not going to let my daughter date until she is your age?" He said and ducked another playful swat.

NUMB3RS

Don and Espa had a lovely lunch at a small bagel place just done the block from the school. Espa well known there, but the employees seemed a little skeptical of her walking in with a man dressed in a suit and tie, with a gun strapped to his hip, and wearing sun glasses. Yes, Don Eppes did occasionally radiate federal agent.

After, he walked with her back to her car. She needed to go home to check on Zephyr before her evening class started. Don leaned against her car and asked her what was for dinner. When she told him ribeye and baked potatoes he promised he would be home for dinner. She smirked and commented that it was the easiest way to get him home. Make his favorite food. He just smirked at her and had pulled her into his arms and kissed her not caring about the students walking by.

He was called on his way back to the office to the scene of two murders.

A young woman and a man were killed by a gun shots in shot from behind them. The woman looked like she had been going up the stairs when she was killed and the man was on the ground. Neither looked like they had been fleeing.

David met Don by the woman and nodded. "They are Jessie Eldridge and Monica Sanders. They worked there and so far nothing stood out about them.

"Were they going out?" Don asked.

"No." David said

"So no lovers to be looking at?" Don asked.

"No they were both single, but looking." Colby said after talking to a co-worker. "They really didn't know each other well. They worked on different floors and maybe saw each other in passing like this."

"So either someone was after one and killed the witness or we need to find who killed them and why." Don said with a sigh. And that would not be easy.

NUMB3RS

Espa went riding after checking on her baby. Loki and Porsche were doing well. Espa decided to ride her mare into the gardens of the local abbey. It bordered up against the park and the she had often seen people there.

She saddled her mare and rode mounted her. Porsche followed her mother out as they walked up along the road. She entered the gardens and looked about as she walked her mount.

Two brothers came toward her with smiles. "God keep you child." One of them said. "Welcome to our Abbey." The man said. He was the younger of the two, but she could tell by his rosary he was a prior of the Benedictine Order or the Abbot himself. The younger had a very Norman look to him and he spoke with a slight accent she could not easily place.

She dismounted as he held her reins and offered a carrot from the basket he held. Loki ate it. Espa smiled. "Greetings brothers." She dipped her head.

"You have wondered off the normal path." The other said smiling as he saw the foal.

"Am I intruding?" Espa asked. "I got lost in my thoughts at the beauty of your gardens."

"No child." The man smiled. "I am Abbot Timothy. This is Brother Robert."

"Father." Espa bowed her head to him as he took her hand.

He smiled. "I see you have been in Europe."

"Yes, Father." Espa said straightening.

"Come. We get so few visitors to our back gardens and in our Abbey." Brother Robert said. "Come have a glass of wine with the Abbot and I in my herb hut."

"You are a herbalist?" Espa asked.

"Yes." He smiled at her. He waved for a novice to come over from where he was weeding. "Take this lady's horses to the stable and see they are given oats."

"You spoil them as you do me." Espa said as the novice took her horse.

"No more than a radiant woman as yourself deserves." The Abbot said offering his arm.

"I did not think Abbots were allowed to flirt with the fairer sex, Father." Espa smiled.

"Even Father Abbots know beauty when we see it my dear." The Father said over his glasses. "You look a little tired and Robert has just the thing for that."

"Oh?" Espa asked as they walked into the hut. She took a deep breath. "It smells lovely in here. Like…well, like herbs." She said seeing them all hanging about.

"It cures everything." Robert smiled as he poured something from a beaker into a glass. "Now drink that down and it will do nothing, but good."

She took a large swallow and then gasped. "Wine." She said startled. "And good wine." She smiled.

"One of my most sought after remedies, my dear." Robert said pouring a glass for himself and the father as they all three sat down to talk for a while. Espa found them as charming as they found her.

NUMB3RS

After more than two hours talking to the Abbot and Brother, Espa had returned her horses to the stables and driven home. Don was just pulling into the driveway as she did. She smiled at him as she walked to him.

He looked at her in her riding habit. She held her crop and helmet under her arm. "You have been riding?" He asked before moving to kiss her.

"Yes." She smiled. "And making new friends." She said.

"Oh?"

"Yes, I got down with the brothers at Saint Michaels." She smiled at him.

He chuckled. "And now do I get my ribeye or are you going to run me out to talk to Charlie first?"

She smiled and looked at him. "You can do what you like. I will tell you when I am done. Your daughter would like some time with you I am sure."

"How are here lessons going?" He asked. The neighbor had been teaching her sign language. Espa had memorized the signs within a couple hours and had started to communicate with her baby who still did not talk. Don was not so quick, but he could follow the easy signs.

"Good." Espa nodded. "From what Dad says. He is learning with her."

He chuckled. "Oh, that must be funny for him to be back in school."

"Yeah." She smiled as they walked in hand in hand.

NUMB3RS

Dinner was pleasant and cheerful. Don had watched his father and Zephyr talking with their hands. The baby's signs were not as elegant as her grandfather's, but Don caught 'please', 'thank-you', and 'more' as they were repeated over and over in the meal.

Don sat afterwards at the table looking over crime photos and bios on the people who had been killed. It did not make sense to him that these two had died.

Charlie was working on network analysis as Espa finished the cookies she was making. Alan put Zephyr to bed after playing for an hour.

Espa came into the room. Her husband looked up at her. These murders made as much sense to him as someone killing his good hearted wife. The woman, Monica, was a Girl Scout leader and volunteered at handicapped events. The worst the man had done was smoke a little weed in college and was caught.

He sighed. She gave him a beer and sat near him pumping so Alan would have enough for the next day to feed Zephyr when she was not eating normal food from whom ever she was with's plate.

Espa finished and noticed her husband watching her as she looked up at him. He liked watching her nurse Zephyr. It was an odd fascination for him, but there was something really intriguing about his wife first giving life and then keeping life. Ah, women were to be revered for that ability. It was so easy to be a male. You could sleep around without much commitment, but a woman had to have children and live with them until they were grown. Don smiled as he met her gaze. He reached out and touched her cheek. He was so happy he had made the right choice and won her back and married her. He could not imagine life without her now.

She smiled at him and then stifled a yawn and at his urging went up to join her daughter in the bedroom. He would be up as soon as he finished his beer and said good night to his brother and father.

NUMB3RS

Espa rolled over in bed. Though her husband had made passionate love to her, she had felt the difference in him. It was how he was when he was deep in thought and trying to relax his mind. He had not quite let the though go for as his body connected to her in its magic way, his mind did not meld with hers. She could forgive it for it was rare he was not totally involved with pleasing her and them himself after. It was a part of his Jewish heritage that she adored. Though she wondered if he had ever read the Jewish sex laws. He was following them to the letter if he had, but if he had not…well he was just a damn good lover.

She watched him come from the shower and dress as she rested on her pillow. He pulled on a pair of dresser pants and a suit shirt over a plain white t-shirt. She rose to her feet as he began to tie his tie. Naked, she pressed her body against his from behind. She inhaled his scent as she wrapped her arms about him and pressed her face into his shoulder.

He smiled and turned hugging her a little. "I love you." He told her. He kissed her his hands caressing the small of her back. "Never forget that."

"I know." She said and watched him go. "I love you too."

He smiled and walked to the sleeping form of his daughter. She had woken in the night only once wanting food. As normal these days, Don woke and had fed her. He kissed her as he held his tie off her and then walked to the door grabbing his black suit jacket as he went. He looked back at his wife as he opened the door to walk out. He looked her up and down burning the image of her naked body into his brain as he tried not to think of what he wanted to do to it. "See you later, sweetheart." He said.

She nodded and went back to bed grabbing his pillow to hold instead of him.

NUMB3RS

There was another dead male found in the street. His name was Vincent Montague. He had been turned over to the FBI because the bullet in him matched the bullets from the other crime scenes. Don looked about as Megan chatted with some of the neighbors.

Megan found out the man had been on an about two weeks ago in Zzyzx, a spa resort area in the Mohave Desert. That was a useful piece of information, but was it relevant?

The team went back to the office. The ME was there waiting for them in the war room. The first male, Jesse Eldridge had AIDS, but it was not very advanced. He, however, could have spread it. There was evidence he was sexually active because he had spermicidal gel still on his penis.

Don and Megan found his partner, Hugh Odin, in their apartment in Venice. Guy revealed that Jesse had been away with friend a few weeks ago to a spa in a really funny sounding name that began with a Z. He also admitted the two of them had had sex shortly before Jesse had gone to work, but he had an alibi for the murder and video camera's in the lobby backed him up as being at the bank.

So two of the people had been in Zzyzx and they were both killed. Back at the office David revealed that the third victim had also been there according to her cell records because she made calls from there.

Well the team had commonality, but who would have done this crime?

NUMB3RS

David and Colby went up to the spa early the next morning after they got the address from Monica's wallet. The owner was forth coming when she found out they were there investigating several murders. She told them that there had been be a sex party that the victims had attended. One of the people turned out to be HIV positive and so she had sent out warnings to get tested at the hospital.

Don and Megan took this news to the hospital and tried to get the medical records on HIV testing. The hospital refused so Don decided to put pressure on them because it could be a reason for murder.

NUMB3RS

Don came home late at about nine. His wife was folding laundry in the living room while she listened to music. He smiled at her piles. "Are you the only one here?" He asked as he sat down looking at her pile of mismatched socks she was sorting.

"Well, Zephyr is sleeping upstairs, but yes. Charlie is with Amita and Dad is on a date with Wendy."

"Who is Wendy?"

"He was hoping we would meet her soon." Espa smiled as she looked up at him. She chuckled. "He hoped in the next couple of days. We could have, like a double date of sorts."

"The last time he did that he served duck to a woman who had two of them."

She chuckled a little. He reached down and found a mate to the sock he had. He did too more and she was done. He reached and folded a bib and sighed as he rubbed his neck. "Tired?" She asked.

"A little. What does him dating this Wendy have to do with us?"

"Wendy is vegetarian so we will be going out." She smiled at him as she put two piles into a basket and sighed as she stood up. She moved to lift it.

"Hey, hold on." He said gently reaching out and catching her arm. "Let me do that."

"I can manage." She smiled.

"Come here." He said pulling her to him. She frowned a little as he pulled her so she was straddling his lap. "Hi." He smiled as one hand caressed her hip down back to her backside as the other brushed her hair back from her face. He leaned up and kissed her, his hands reaching to pull at her shirt.

She gasped. "No, Don…not here. What if they come…" Her protests were silenced by her husband wanting her beyond reason at the moment. Her struggles to get away lessened as he continued to plunder her mouth.

"They would never know." He whispered as he kissed up her jaw.

"They would if we were here." She said trying to get up again.

"Keep squirming and I will have my way with you on the dining room table." He said.

She knew he was half-joking, but he also was half serious. She gasped as she suddenly found herself shirtless and her husband kissing down to her breasts. He set her on the floor and reached for the large blanket on the couch and the small one on the chair. He put the small one down on the ground by the fireplace and then smiled as he patted the spot for her to come to him.

She sighed and did. He pressed her back against the small blanket with a kiss. He stripped her and himself with surprising efficiency. He pulled the blanket over them as he kissed down her body. In moments she forgot about everything else, but the joy her husband gave her.

NUMB3RS

Espa woke the next morning to the smell of coffee. She looked up and realized she was looking up at Alan smiling down at her. She gasped when she realized that her husband and she had not moved from their comfy nest after they had made love twice in the glow of the fireplace.

She shifted and realized the blanket was lowered behind her breasts and her husband was holding her breast as he lay beside her on his side with his head against her shoulder and his other arm.

"I see my son used his time well with the house alone with you." Alan smiled at her when he saw her blushing from where he sat in the chair near them. She shifted to pull the blanket up over her body and her husband's hand down beside her

She sighed and rubbed her face. "I'm sorry. Did Zephyr wake you?" She asked stifling a yawn.

"No." He said as he watched his son stir awake. Gretchen got up and stretched. She hoped down to go in search of breakfast as Alan took a sip of his coffee and turned the newspaper page he had been reading.

Don smiled seeing Espa there. "Morning." He smiled and kissed her as he shifted. She gasped and squirmed trying to push him away as she felt his intention.

"Don…no…we…" He silenced her again with his kisses, but it was Alan's voice that made him freeze and stop.

"I am glad to see you are as red blooded male as the rest of us Donnie."

His eyes opened wide as he looked at his wife. She smiled. "You could have warned me." He hissed at her.

"She tried, but you were not thinking with your upper brain at that moment." Alan smirked as Don turned his head to look at him.

"Morning Dad." Don said glaring a little.

Espa giggled. "Dad can you kindly go get Zephyr and then feed her so I can get ready for the day." She asked.

He chuckled and nodded rising to his feet. "You know, you are lucky it was me who saw you. Charlie would have given you a huge lecture about having sex on his carpets."

"Dad…just go." Don said as he rubbed his head. He looked at his wife who sat up drawing the blanket about her. "I'm sorry." He told her and kissed her cheek.

She smiled and kissed him. "It's all right. Come on. Let's get ready for the day." She said patting his thigh. She wrapped the blanket about herself and smiled as she gathered her clothing leaving her husband naked.

"Hey…" He said looking at her as she headed for the stairs. "What about me?" He asked.

She looked at him up and down and he felt himself harden a little at her sultry gaze as she ran her tongue over her teeth. She shrugged and laughed as he got up and made as if to run after her.

He sighed and picked up the small blanket and used it in a half hearted attempt at modesty as he followed her up to their room where Alan was walking out with the still mostly asleep Zephyr who looked at everything with sleepy eyes. He did not like the smirk his dad was wearing either, but he had to ignore that for now.

NUMB3RS

Don arrived at work with coffee in hand as Megan came to join him. They had gotten the judge to grant them access to the medical records. Two people had tested positive to having HIV, but they had just come back two days ago for the tests to be rerun. Apparently, false positives happened and they wanted to make sure.

Colby and David spoke to Jesse Eldridge's partner about the sex party. The man was shocked and seemed to be understandably feeling betrayed. He mentioned that he had been invited to the spa by a former friend, as in boyfriend.

It is clear the man trusted his partner enough to let him go and he did have an alibi for the time of the death of his partner as well as the other woman. Colby and David could only find out what the friend's name was from the partner.

Colby called him and found out that he had organized the sex party. Everyone there were swingers and had had sex with multiple people. He also mentioned that everyone who came was to get tested first for AIDS because condoms were not allowed. So much for safe sex since someone had had AIDS there and another woman was pregnant from it.

NUMB3RS

Don was in the war room looking at the crime scene photos when an agent brought a very frightened young woman to him. She looked about nervously. He smiled and offered her coffee before they went into an interrogation room to talk.

"I am Don Eppes. Who are you?" Don asked as she sat down staring into her cup.

"Kelly Gregory." She looked up at him. "They are dead." She said.

"Wait. Who is dead?" Don asked sitting down on the side of the table near her.

"The people from the party." She said.

"You were there?" He asked searching his memory for her name.

"Yes." She looked down and coughed shyly. "The people…I, uh, I slept with them."

"All of them?" Don asked his eyebrows up.

"Yeah." She nodded. "And another." She coughed. "Jeff Thompson." She shivered. "I went in for my HIV test after the letter came and it was positive." She looked up. "I do not understand. We were all supposed to be clean." She looked up at him. "What if he comes after me?"

"You think Jeff is killing people?" Don asked. That was the name on the second positive. He sighed. "We can protect you. What can you tell me about him?"

"I had never seen him before."

"And you slept with him?" Don asked incredulously.

"I like sex agent Eppes." She said softly. "I never have really settled down." She sighed. "I never thought I would have some guy try to kill me over it though."

"You're safe here. Was there anyone else?"

"No. We were the only ones he slept with." She said.

"Okay. Can you stay here while I look into a safe house for you and such?"

She nodded.

He walked out and sighed. This case was bizarre.

NUMB3RS

Don led a raid team into Jeff Thomson's condo. He was not there, but there were several notes on the table of him writing to the people he had slept with. Also there were the medical records saying he was positive for HIV.

Don listened to the messages. One was from a girlfriend who was going out of town. One was from his mother. Another from the mother. One from work since he had not shown up. Last, was a call from the hospital that the tests had been confirmed that he did not have HIV and the last test was a false positive.

Don had Kelly Gregory go into protective custody to keep her safe as the team tried to track down Jeff Thomson.

The man cancelled his credit cards and cell phone contract so it would be hard to track him, but they had a tip line open for him for the public to call in. It was a waiting game for the man to show himself, but the last victim was safe.

NUMB3RS

Don walked to into the office of his brother. Charlie was not there, so Don decided to wait for him. He plucked out the darts from the dart board and started to aim. He got a bull's eye outer ring the first time.

He smiled and aimed another. The door opened to reveal Espa dressed in a business suit trimmed to her frame with her hair up. It was the sort of thing she wore to meetings with the faculty or to court. She had a tray of food before her. Charlie and Larry were right behind her carrying their own trays.

Don smiled and looked at her as she looked at him aiming a dart.

"Hit me and I will kill you." She warned setting her tray down.

"Bad day?" He asked.

"The meeting was a disaster. I am always in the middle and must mediate two factions." She sighed and reached up to touch his head. "How are you?" She asked moving her hand to idly play with his tie.

"Good." He smiled and pressed a quick kiss to her mouth. "But I was here to see the boys." He said nodding back to Charlie and Larry.

She smiled and nodded as she rolled her eyes. "Cool. I will just eat my lunch then. Want half a sandwich?"

"Sure." He said taking it from her. Espa seemed to always know her husband was a walking stomach and would eat whenever food was available to him. He took a huge bite and looked at his brother. He smiled a little wiping some mustard from his lip with a finger and then looking at Charlie. "So young Eppes, I need you to try and figure out where this man is. We have hit a brick wall."

"Okay. Do you have information on the suspect and his victims for me?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah." Don said lifting a file as he set down the sandwich. He looked at Espa. "This is almost as good as yours." He said before opening the file and giving it to his brother. "He has fallen off the face of the planet. We have no phone calls or credit cards we can trace back to him."

Espa sighed. "Great. A killer who disappeared."

"Not really." Charlie said. "He did all that stuff to make you think he left the area, but I think he is still here plotting to get everyone else involved."

"We have the last woman in protective custody." Don said taking another bite. He was hungry, hungrier than he had thought.

"Let me work on some equations for you." Charlie said going to the chalkboard as Espa sat with her legs crossed nearby. Don leaned against the desk watching as did Larry.

NUMB3RS

NUMB3RS

Charlie was able to find out the man was back in the spa resort to finish what he had started. Don and the team went out to the building where the party had taken place and smelled kerosene. It was everywhere. The man planned to fire the place.

Don walked in and saw the man drenching himself in the oil. He ordered the man to freeze. Jeff turned and looked at them and lit a match. Don froze knowing he was in a face off and if the match dropped they all would be burned if not dead.

Don talked to the man as did Megan about why he had been killing people. Don then revealed the test was a false positive. When the man said he was lying, Don produced the medical file. The man then extinguished the match with a sigh and apologized for what he had done.

Don saw a blood trail and followed it as David and Colby took the man out of the house. He walked into a room where the blood trail got thicker. On the floor was a woman who had been stabbed. She was alive and he recognized her as the spa manager. He picked her up and carried her out to the ambulance waiting outside.

The stand off had turned out all right and the other victim would live through it.

Back at the office Kelly was there with flowers for Don and his team as a thank you for keeping her safe. She also told Don she was going to end the life style and look into better pursuits like finding a boyfriend to be with rather than free love. Don was glad to hear it.

NUMB3RS

Don arrived back home to find Alan with Zephyr on the floor changing her and Gretchen watching from her post on the couch pillows. He smelled some wonderful food.

"Hi Dad." Don said with a smile as he saw his daughter squirm seeing him. "Hello Margot."

"Hey, Donnie." Alan nodded to him and then after he had the diaper on he let the baby crawl to her father.

He picked her up and held her as he walked to the dining room. Espa came out with a beer for him. "Why are there six places?" He asked her seeing the place settings.

"We are having company." She said.

"Oh? And what smells so good?"

"Salmon." She smiled at him.

"Oh…I like Salmon." It was a rare treat since their mother had never really liked it, but all the Eppes men did.

She chuckled. "I know. Alan told me. I needed to cook fish today so I thought of that for you."

He smiled and kissed her as he set his daughter in her high chair. He strapped her in and then watched his wife as she went back into the kitchen. He could hear her talking and knew Charlie was in there with her. He cracked open the beer and sighed wondering who was coming.

The doorbell rang and Gretchen jumped down and barked. Alan picked her up and opened the door to reveal two men wearing Benedictine habits. "Don't mind the dog. Her bark is worse than her bite. Hush now Gretchen." He said. "Welcome."

Don stood in the doorway of the dining room watching. What in the world were two holy men doing over for dinner?

"I am Alan Eppes." Alan said.

"Nice to meet you. I am Father Timothy and this is Brother Robert. Thank you so much for having us." The shorter of the two and younger smiled at Alan. He took his hand and then Robert did.

"You aren't breaking any rules I hope." Alan smiled as he set down Gretchen. She sniffed their feet and then went back to her bed as she normally did when she had accepted people.

"No. In fact we like to go out among people. We could hardly refuse when dear Espa asked us to come over for dinner." Brother Robert said. He smiled as he heard Zephyr fuss. "Ahh, and that must be the little one we have heard about."

Espa came in brushing passed her husband as she went to hug the two men. "Oh you found it. I am happy."

"Your directions were wonderful. We got here exactly in the amount of time you thought." Abbot Timothy said.

"Well come in and meet everyone." Espa said. "You met Alan. This is my husband Don Eppes." She nodded to Don who was standing watching with his arms folded. He moved and held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you." Don said.

"Espa has told us about you Agent. It is good to meet you." Brother Robert said.

"You have me at a disadvantage." Don said looking from him to his wife and back.

"Charlie will be out in a moment." Espa said as she lifted Zephyr up into her arms. "This is Zephyr." She smiled.

"Oh she does look like her father." Abbot Timothy smiled. He reached for her and Zephyr allowed him to hold her. "She is almost like your granddaughter Robert." He said bouncing her and smiling as she reached for his glasses.

"You have family?" Don asked looking at the herbalist.

"Not all of us take the cowl as teenagers my dear boy." Robert smiled.

"I hope you are hungry. I made salmon with dill sauce and some vegetables since it is Friday." Espa said.

"We thank you, but we would have eaten anything you put in front of us." Abbot Timothy said smiling. "The laws have slackened with the twenty-first century a bit."

They all sat down and had a wonderful meal. The two brothers stayed well into the night because the Eppes family enjoyed talking to the somewhat worldly brothers. Zephyr went to sleep in Abbot Timothy's arms and he smiled watching her like a little lamb.


	31. Bait

**Bait**

1  
Bar

100  
Prostitutes

400  
Same-sex partners

1  
Neighborhood

Don Eppes was lying looking up at the ceiling after a round of mind blowing lovemaking with his wife who was lying beside him. He could tell she was awake by her breathing and her fingers caressing the hair on his chest. His arm was wrapped about her.

Zephyr was sleeping peacefully. He could hear her snoring in her crib. He smiled as he kissed his wife's hair. It was the first night time they had been able to have together after he had been stuck trying to foil a terror plot in LA. They had managed to have lunch and one dinner during the week. He had missed the comfort of his lover, best friend, and wife against him in bed. He had missed her period. It was not easy for a man like him to go without sex and as regularly as they had it, it was no doubt tough for both of them.

Espa snuggled against his chest breathing in the manly smell of his body that always brought her comfort and eased her. It had not been easy to fall asleep alone. Her husband had crashed yesterday when he had finished the case and he had slept for more than twelve hours as his body adjusted to the sleep deprivation it had suffered. He had been almost to the point of exhaustion when they had nailed the group red handed making a small letter bomb for the senator's office.

A cell phone rang. She could tell by the ringer that it was Don's. She heard and felt him sigh as he reached up with his free hand. He stifled a yawn with his free hand and sighed as he flipped it open.

"Eppes…yeah…" He looked at his watch. "Okay…I will be there in a bit." He said and clicked his phone closed. He shifted and looked at his wife as she looked up at him with her hair tousled about the pillow and her head like a dark halo.

"Hello." She whispered at him.

He bent his head to softly kiss her. "Duty calls." He said softly. His hand caressed her belly gently before he sat up and started to dress in a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt. "Nothing good comes from a dead body at the docks." He sighed as he sat on the bed putting on his shoes.

"Mob hit?" Espa asked.

"And what makes you think that?" He asked looking at her stunned. She was more into crime that he often gave her credit for.

"It is where the Italian mob did their business in Chicago when my dad was growing up. And you know his uncle was Rizzo the Razor." She shrugged her hand on her middle as she looked at him a hand behind her head as her eyes glittered in the dark.

He shook his head. "I hope not. The Russian mob is far worse than the Italians were." He said as he rose and grabbed his duty weapon, shield, ID, and wallet. "Night." He said softly. "See ya tomorrow hopefully." He looked at his watch. "Make that later today." He smiled at the door as he took one last look at her half covered naked form as she watched him, her bronze skin starkly showing against the white sheets.

She smiled. "Go on."

He smiled and left creeping into the hallway and going downstairs to the door and out to his car.

NUMB3RS

The victims of a brutal assault lay dumped on the dock. They had been cleared elsewhere, but they had suffered greatly. They were both white males late teens to early twenties and naked. One of them sported a perfectly intact condom. The other had a leather mask on. So they were into S and M perhaps? Maybe just sex games.

Don sighed. He had never done bondage with his wife and he did not intend to ask. He could have lost her after trying to catch the killer who had been attacking women not so long ago. He had smacked her and all but raped her, but in the end she had stuck with him and he knew he had married the best woman he ever could have.

Don squatted down and sighed. "Huh. So much for safe sex." He muttered. "How long have they been here?" He asked the coroner.

"Only about an hour according to the dock workers." The coroner said. When he say Don's look, he smiled. "I overheard sir. But they died about four hours ago according to liver temperature. Their wounds bled all over somewhere, but not here so I would say they were moved."

"Okay." Don nodded. He looked at saw the white stick substance that the coroner was putting a Q-tip to and then he put in a bag as evidence. Don sighed.

David came over as Don stood up. "These kids were spotted at a club about six hours ago. The roommate reported them missing when they did not come home when they said they were going to be."

"Kind of fast for calling in a missing person report isn't it?" Don asked.

"She said they always came home." David said.

"She?" Don asked. "Two guys and a girl? Why the hell didn't I think of doing that in college? Only I would have two girls and me."

David smirked a little. "Well she said these two were a couple and she was a friend of the brown haired kid names Josh." He said.

"So what gets two gay kids dead?" Don sighed.

NUMB3RS

Don walked in the door and saw his wife working on the unending laundry load as she sat singing on the floor to her CD player. Zephyr was apparently not here because otherwise she would have been listening to soft music and the baby monitor.

Girl of sixteen, whole life ahead of her  
Slashed her wrists, bored with life  
Didn't succeed, thank the lord  
For small mercies

Fighting back the tears, mother reads the note again  
Sixteen candles burn in her mind  
She takes the blame, it's always the same  
She goes down on her knees and prays

I don't want to start any blasphemous rumors  
But I think that god's got a sick sense of humor  
And when I die I expect to find him laughing

Girl of eighteen, fell in love with everything  
Found new life in Jesus Christ  
Hit by a car, ended up  
On a life support machine

Summer's day, as she passed away  
Birds were singing in the summer sky  
Then came the rain, and once again  
A tear fell from her mother's eye

I don't want to start any blasphemous rumors  
But I think that god's got a sick sense of humor  
And when I die I expect to find him laughing

Espa was folding towels and baby clothes as she sang softly. Don laid a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and looked up at him. He lifted his hands up as she pulled the ear buds from her ears. "Hey." He smiled.

She smiled up at him. She was wearing yoga pants and a loose tank top. Her hair was in a loose bun on her head. She smiled as she got up to greet him. "How are you husband? You look worn. Can I make you something to eat?" She leaned up and kissed him gently.

"Nah. I will grab some of that nice pot roast you made two days ago." He said taking off his jacket.

"I can heat it up for you." She said as she turned and walked into the kitchen.

He followed her and caught her. "I can heat thing Espa. I just can not cook well."

She turned. "You make a killer mac and cheese though."

"Like that is cooking." He said. "Besides you make it better."

"I add things besides cheese." She shrugged and he sighed letting her go. He dropped into a seat and rubbed his head and then held it in his hands.

Soft words drifted to him as he listened to her in the kitchen getting food ready for him. He felt incredibly spoiled by her treatment of the family and he knew he did not deserve it. He knew his father was as grateful as he was, but Charlie…

When in the springtime of the year  
When the trees are crowned with leaves  
When the ash and oak, and the birch and yew  
Are dressed in ribbons fair

When owls call the breathless moon  
In the blue veil of the night  
The shadows of the trees appear  
Amidst the lantern light

We've been rambling all the night  
And some time of this day  
Now returning back again  
We bring a garland gay

Who will go down to those shady groves  
And summon the shadows there  
And tie a ribbon on those sheltering arms  
In the springtime of the year

The songs of birds seem to fill the wood  
That when the fiddler plays  
All their voices can be heard  
Long past their woodland days

And so they linked their hands and danced  
Round in circles and in rows  
And so the journey of the night descends  
When all the shades are gone

"A garland gay we bring you here  
And at your door we stand  
It is a sprout well budded out  
The work of our lord's hand"

He listened to her singing again and sighed. His wife had an amazing voice like her body. He still could not believe at times that she had given birth. He smiled as she came back into the room with a plate for him and some bottled water. He smiled a thank you and dove in.

She returned to the laundry and finished setting the basket down at the bottom of the stairs to take upstairs when she next was headed up there. She went into the kitchen and grabbed another bottle of water for herself and then dropped into a seat across from her husband as he ate his meal like a starved man.

Charlie came into the dining room. He was wearing a robe and it struck Don that was why Espa was home as well. It was Saturday. He looked at Espa with a smiled. "What is for breakfast?" He said with a yawn as he ran his hand through his disheveled curls.

"Breakfast? Buddy it is past eleven." Don said with a smirk.

"But it is Saturday." Charlie said looking expectant at Espa. "No waffles?" He was actually pouting like a child as he looked at her with his lip jutting out.

Espa looked at him. "Dad left early to take Zephyr with him to Saturday Market and you were not up yet and Don was at work. I figured I could get away with not doing it for once." She said.

"You are not seriously going to guilt her into this, are you?" Don asked looking at his brother. "She does enough for you as it is."

"I was just hoping for breakfast is all man." Charlie said raising his hands.

Don looked at his wife who was fidgeting with her bottle. "Don't let him guilt you into this. You did his laundry. He can find food." He said.

"Oh like you did?" She asked.

"I offered to get it on my own." He said eyeing her and then he turned his gaze to his brother. "I will not have you taking advantage of her every time it is convenient to you." He glared at his younger sibling. "She is my wife, not yours and she does not have to spoil any of us the way she has. Dad and I are grateful, but I have never once heard you say thank you to her."

She sighed. "I could make you some French Toast. It is easy…" She said trying to compromise.

"No, it is fine." Charlie said rising. "I will make myself a bowl of cereal." He said and walked into the kitchen.

She looked at her husband and took a breath. "Thank you. I was so not in a mood to do that today."

He reached across and took her hand. "Hey, I love you." He said. "Come here." He said. She rose and went to him. She sat on his lap and he looked up at her. "I do not thank you enough either. You do spoil us incredibly and you do not have to." He smiled and kissed her chin. "I know you are his confidant, but you do not have to be his maid."

She sighed. "Yeah." She nodded and sighed and he held her against him as though she were a larger version of Zephyr. "Don, if I get pregnant again we are going to have to move out." She sighed absently.

"I sure Dad would understand, but Charlie would be heartbroken. No more waffles on Saturday." Don smirked finishing his meal and then taking a swig of his water as his brother came back in. "You aren't pregnant are you?" He asked pressing a hand to her belly as if he were checking for a swell.

Charlie looked up. "What?" He had a bowl of cereal and a cup of steaming hot chocolate before him. "Espa is pregnant?"

"No, Espa is not pregnant." Espa said taking Don's dishes to the kitchen to do later.

Charlie looked up as she came back and Don leaned back. "Where is the spray whip cream, Espa?" He asked her.

"Oh, it is on my list. Want some marshmallows?" She asked.

"Sure, but why are we out? I thought you just bought some." Charlie said watching her blush as she moved to the kitchen again.

"Well, uh, I…we…" She coughed a little and looked at her husband and then went into the kitchen.

"You used my whipped cream for…in my house?" Charlie looked at his brother accusingly.

"Hey, buddy, it is to share." Don said with a grin. "And it was a good dessert." He said as Espa came back and put the marshmallows in for her brother-in-law. She was still blushing.

"Don…" She hissed at him and he looked up at her and smiled.

"Hey, I'm not sorry." Don said. "We put it to good use." He smirked at Charlie who was now blushing as much as Espa. Espa swatted his arm and Don pulled her back across his lap and smiled. "Besides the great meal I needed to ask you if you think those two kids in your class might know two kids that were murdered last night."

"Oh?" She looked at him. "Are they suspects?"

"Not right now, but I am not ruling anyone out." Don said looking at her. "I was kinda hoping you could take me to the club with Megan and we could do some looking around."

"Sure. The Rainbow will have a lot of people tonight. If you are up to dealing with a bunch of gay men looking at you…" She smiled.

"I can handle it. I am do not have homophobia." He said.

"All right." She nodded as he finished his water.

"A date then at eightish?" He asked.

"Sure." She nodded. "Dad can watch Zephyr I am sure. Though we may have to meet Wendy in return." She smiled.

He nodded. "Okay then. See you later." He kissed her and walked to the door and out.

NUMB3RS

Two more bodies showed up with semen on them. They were both women and had also been moved. They had been cut and beaten the same as the boys had been. They were Jordan Dory and Laura Sand and they were both prostitutes.

Their bodies were found at the docks as well. Don and Colby were there looking about. David and Colby canvassed the area, but again there were no witnesses to the body dump.

Don asked Megan if she wanted to go to the club with him and Espa to look into the gay culture of LA. It was a starting place anyway. It was also confirmed as a place to go when Colby found a Rainbow business card in Jordan's purse.

NUMB3RS

Megan and Espa were dressed for clubbing. Don noticed Megan was going in with her badge, but without her duty weapon on her hip. He knew she had her backup somewhere either on her thigh or ankle. Don felt out of place with his wife wearing tight leather pants that hugged her hips and a shirt that was a halter top with strings across her back instead of a back. It left her midriff bare as well as she walked in with a small bill fold tucked into her back pocket. Her hair was in something close in three braids that came out from a ponytail at the top of her head.

Don looked at his muscle shirt, black slacks, and hoodie and realized that even Megan looked more ready to be here than he did. Espa was stopped by the bouncers and she smiled at Megan and kissed her cheek playfully and whispered to Megan softly as the bouncers checked their IDs. Megan got into the act as well and smiled back at her.

Don was next and he nodded to the men who did not card him, but put a highlighter mark on his arm to mark him as old enough to drink. Don smiled at them and walked past to join his wife and Megan in the darkened entry when he felt a hand slap his ass from behind.

He jumped startled and turned to look at the bouncer who smiled at him with a seductive smile. "Nice ass honey. You must be new here." The man said looking Don up and down.

Don stood there with his mouth open a moment as the man looked at him like he was high quality steak at the butcher block. Espa came back and smiled wrapping her arms about him and smiled at the bouncer.

"He just came out and he is not fully comfortable yet." Espa smiled at the bouncer as she kissed Don's shoulder sweetly. He looked at her and just smiled at the man knowing his wife knew the culture more than he did.

The bouncer nodded. "We all have been there honey. You are among friends here."

Don nodded. "Good." He said and he let Espa propel him away toward the loud techno music. "What was that about?" He asked leaned down toward his wife as he drew the zipper up on his hoodie a little in defense as he saw men looking at him.

"You are new." Espa said. "And you have a nice ass." She smiled patting it playfully before returning to Megan. "What do you want to drink?"

"We are really on duty…" Megan said softly.

"One never affects Don and it will not affect you either." Espa said holding her arm and stroking it gently as she saw women looking at Megan and herself. "What can I get you?"

"Rum and coke?" Megan shrugged.

"And you Donnie?" Espa asked her husband.

"Uh, some good beer on tap?" He shrugged at her.

Don stayed close to them. Espa went to the bar a little ways away. The bar keeper leaned over to hug her and Don recognized him as one of the kids from her class. He listened to Espa as she ordered and pulled out a large bill and spoke to him. He nodded to their left and she smiled at Don and Megan.

The keep brought her drinks and she smiled and kissed his cheek and whispered something to him. He smiled and nodded. She walked back to Megan and gave her the rum and coke, her husband his beer, and her KIBA with rum she kept herself.

Don leaned down. "So what is the plan?" He asked her.

"We go get you a lap dance." She smiled. "When Kitty is back." She smiled.

"Me a what?" He blinked.

"Lap dance." Espa said. "So no one will suspect as we get information from him."

"Wait…him…Kitty is a him?" He asked her. He eyed her as he sipped his beer. It was a good micro brew. "And you are buying me a lap dance from a him?"

"Well you are newly out of the closet and need to relax Donnie." Espa said loud enough for the neighbors to hear.

He sighed and nodded. "What are you drinking?" He asked.

"A KIBA." She smiled. "Kirsch-Banana Saft." She smiled. "It is a German drink. This one had rum in it. Want some?"

He nodded and tried it. It was cherry and banana and was remarkably good. He gave it back and took another sip of his beer.

Espa nodded to them and grabbed Kitty. She smiled. "My friend is having a coming out celebration. We want a private room." She said.

Kitty nodded. "This way." He said. His voice was very male, but his dress and body was female. Don followed resisting the urge to grab and hold Espa's hand.

They were in a private room. Kitty pushed Don into a velvet seat and smiled at him as Espa nodded to him that it was alright.

"We need information Kyle." Espa said as she paid him. "Act normal and answer Don's questions. This will save you and us from being made."

"They already made him." Kitty/Kyle said as he walked towards him. "The metal detector went off on her and your friend Dr. U." He said.

"So they know we are packing?" Don said. He realized Kitty was Kyle, the other kid from Espa's class.

"Yeah." Kitty said swinging a leg over Don. Don looked up and coughed nervously. "Just relax and look like you are enjoying and I will tell you what you want to know. There is no sound recording here. Club policy for our higher ranking clientele."

Don nodded. "Why did security not come after us? Or go after Espa…"

"She is known here." Kyle nodded as moved slowly in slow seductive movements. "They also made out your shields. No need to call the police when you are already here right?"

"I see." Don said sitting with his arms out as he would for a female lap dance. He eyed his wife. "You owe me."

"I know. Now ask him." Espa said. "You will be rewarded I promise."

Don nodded. He knew he would be in bed and he would demand a lot from her. "Do you know about the kids who were killed?"

"The four of them? Yeah the boys were regulars here. The two boys walked out of here with a third. Both were drunk and talking about playing with their new toy."

"Could you pick him out?" Don asked.

"No, sorry." Kyle said. "I hadn't seen him before." He sighed and moved his hands up into his wig.

"And the women?" Megan asked.

"I did not know them." Kyle said.

Kyle got off and smiled at Don. "It's over now." He said leaning down by Don's ear. "I hope I helped."

"Yeah." Don said sitting up.

Espa gave him more money and a kiss on his cheek before she led Megan and Don out of the club.

Don jumped into the suburban. "You enjoyed that." He hissed at Espa as she climbed in behind him.

"I would be lying if I said otherwise." She smiled. She caressed his arm.

"I need a long shower." He said starting the car. "But at least it was helpful."

"Oh…alone?" Espa asked.

"No, you will be in there with me so I can forget that I had a male kid giving me as good a lap dance from any woman." Don said eying her. "After we drop off Megan." He said.

NUMB3RS

Don sat up in bed eyeing his wife as she finished burping Zephyr. She laid the baby down and walked back to her husband who had the sheet loosely over his hips. She smiled at him as she walked back wearing only her light see through robe.

He looked up at her. "How much did you spend get us this information?"

"That is not important."

"It is so you can get reimbursed." He said.

She chuckled. "They won't for that amount plus I do not have a receipt to trace." She touched his cheek. They had spent an hour in the shower when they got home. Don seemed to have a drive to clear his mind of having a man move like that above him. His wife's body relaxed him and let him do so.

He rubbed her bottom. "Well, if you are okay with that."

"Yeah." She nodded.

Her phone rang. She looked at the clock. It was nearly one am. She looked at her husband and then picked it up. "Eppes." She said. "Oh hello Greg…yeah…wait…what was his name again? Hugh Pole? Thanks. No, no problem. Really. Good night. Thanks again."

Don eyed her as she hung up. "Who was that?"

"Greg. The bar keeper. He gave me the name that the third man who left with your two male victims. He paid with a credit card. High bill, which is why Greg remembers him. Kyle asked him if he remembered him when there was a slack time."

"Do all students call their professors with great leads on their husband's cases?"

"No…just mine." She smiled

He chuckled and wrapped his arms about her and pulled her down onto him to kiss her. She purred as he rolled them so she was beneath him and he was moving languidly within her claiming her as his.

NUMB3RS

The next morning Don was sipping his morning coffee in the break room of the office when David and Colby walked in. Though the name Hugh Pole was fake, the name Hugh Lauren was not and Hugh Pole was a listed alias for Hugh Pole when he lived in Montana. He was wanted there for drug possession. The semen also was a match on two of the victims where he had ejaculated after he had dumped them.

Now to catch him. The man was smart and knew had to cover his tracks well. They found an LA address. David and Megan went to bring him in, but found the place clear except for a lot of S and M toys.

Don and the team were called to the murder of another murdered prostitute at a different part of the docks. She had been shot after being beaten. The killer enjoyed torture. They needed to find Lauren as fast as they could.

He paid his cell phone on time and the GPS trace had him at a coffee shop. They ran in and only found the phone with the message 'catch me if you can' in the text box sent from an email.

Don was running out of options. The next message on the phone was also from Instant Messenger and it said. 'My next victim is with me. You are well behind. I have seen your team and I know their faces…you can not trap me.'

Don needed to trap Hugh Lauren, but his whole team and most of the LA branch office had been made. The man no doubt knew the LAPD as well by how he was taunting.

The next victim was found by the docks and was again a whore, but he was escalading in violence against his victims.

NUMB3RS

Don came home and found Espa singing to her daughter as she changed her.

Alas my love you do me wrong  
To cast me off discourteously;  
And I have loved you oh so long  
Delighting in your company.

GREENSLEEVES was my delight,  
GREENSLEEVES my heart of gold  
GREENSLEEVES was my heart of joy  
And who but my Lady GREENSLEEVES.

I have been ready at your hand  
To grant whatever thou would'st crave;  
I have waged both life and land  
Your love and goodwill for to have.

GREENSLEEVES wa my delight,  
GREENSLEEVES my heart of gold  
GREENSLEEVES was my heart of joy  
And who but my Lady GREENSLEEVES.

Thy petticoat of sendle white  
With gold embroidered gorgeously;  
Thy petticoat of silk and white  
And these I bought gladly.

GREENSLEEVES was my delight,  
GREENSLEEVES my heart of gold  
GREENSLEEVES was my heart of joy  
And who but my Lady GREENSLEEVES.

Don looked at her. "You are singing about a whore?" He asked.

"It is what the song is about." She said lifting the baby up and holding her hands she she could walk to her father. Don bent and picked Zephyr up as she held her sippy cup in her small hand and sucked on it as her daddy held her.

"Strangely appropriate." He muttered.

"What?" She asked.

"I need a favor. I am worried, but you are the only woman I can think of the man would have seen, but not known you are police of FBI."

"You need me to be bait." She said.

"Yeah. To find the crime scene and catch Hugh Laurens. He is clever." Don said with a sigh. "Do you think you are up for it?"

"Sure." She nodded.

"I am going to have you wearing a flack jacket, wire, and an ear bud, the whole nine yards." Don said. "You will be safe."

She nodded. "Okay." She sighed. "When."

"Tomorrow."

NUMB3RS

Don spent must of the day prepping his wife for her upcoming job. He had coached her how to use the equipment that they were going to be using. He also picked out her outfit with her.

She was shocked that he found the most whore-like clothing he could find. She eyed it and realized she was going to look like a slut no matter what when she put those on.

Don and she had dinner at the office of Chinese as he gently talked to her. He was concerned. She could be beaten if he got close enough to her. Or she could get shot. He was going to take measures to prevent that, but she still could be hit.

She smiled reassurance that she was ready and with him nearby she was ready for anything the man could bring to her. She sighed and finished her meal and did some yoga to relax her nerves as she waited for the time to be right.

NUMB3RS

Don had Espa put on the lightest flack jacket they had. Then he watched his beloved wife go from beautiful mother and wife to whore. Espa put on some bad make-up, did her hair with too much hairspray.

She pulled on fishnets as Don stood watching her. She stood up in her panties and bra. He reached up and tucked the wire on the inside side and under her breast. The technician watched Don tape the wireless microphone to her.

"You are brave." The tech smiled.

"She's my wife. I have touched there once or twice." Don said. He watched Espa pull on mini skirt and a loose shirt. She looked the part. She added a choker about her neck and smiled at her husband. "I never want to see you like this again." He muttered as he pressed the ear bud into her ear under her hair.

"Don't worry." She said as she pulled on some acrylic pumps that made her four inches taller and made her look even more whore-like.

Don sighed. "Ready?" He asked.

"Yeah. You?" She asked.

"Yeah." He nodded and rubbed her back. He dressed casually and jumped into a service car without lights on it. She got in with him and put some glitter on her legs and arms to add to her look. He watched and sighed.

He let her out near The Rainbow. She got out with her small purse and started walking about. She saw a couple of crack whores nearby. She stood and leaned slightly on one leg.

Don rounded the corner where he could watch her. He watched a car pull up. "What he like?" He asked.

"Not him." Espa said remembering the picture Don had shown her.

He listened as Espa exchanged pleasantries with him. The man was not him. The man was like sixty. He drove further and picked up one of the crack whores. Espa rolled her eyes.

"Some one needs to pick me up for about fifteen minutes." Espa said. "Make it look like I have already had sex once tonight."

Don sighed. "Colby. You go get her."

"Okay, Don." Colby drove up and leaned over to look at Espa from under his baseball cap. "Goin' my way honey?" He asked playfully.

She smiled and got in as he drove to the nearest hotel and walked in with her to the elevators.

"So what is new Colby?" Espa asked as she held his arm.

"Nothing much." Colby said fully aware his boss and her husband was listening.

"Any new girlfriends?"

"No, sorry." He said with a smile.

She smiled at him and leaned up as someone got into the elevator with them. She giggled and kissed his mouth. He was surprised and she pulled his head down to keep the other person from suspecting.

Colby's arms went about her as she held him. The men got out at the next level. Espa watched him go before she broke the kiss. She smiled at him and patted his chest. "Nice work Agent." She said playfully.

"Warn me next time, will you." Colby said.

"Sure."

"Warn you about what?" Don asked.

"Nothing." Espa said. "Just playing our parts."

They walked down the hall and then went back. Once back in the car Colby took a deep breath. "All right. I think we have been having sex long enough for you to go back now." He said.

He dropped her off.

The next bite fit Hugh Lauren. Espa got into the car after he asked her how much. They went to another hotel. He walked up to the room with her. She held his hand.

Don was listening and he got the pass key to the room next door. The SWAT team set up from there as Espa smiled at him.

"So what brings you to LA?" Espa asked smiling at him.

"How do you know I am not from here?" He asked looking at her.

"Most johns are." She shrugged.

He came up to her and touched her hair. "You are prettier than the others."

"Thank you."

"They are dead."

"Are they?" She asked looking at him. "What happened?"

"You will find out." He smiled at her. He lifted a pipe.

She jumped back out of the way with a scream. "A pipe!" She cried. The second swipe caught her.

Don and the team rushed in the door. Hugh pulled out his gun and shot Espa before Don and Megan shot him twice each. He fell to the ground dead.

"We need a medic!" Don called. "Timmy get in here!" He barked as he dropped down to look at her. He had changed into a suit to look official for the hotel.

He watched as Timmy pulled off her shirt and then the flack jacket. The bullet was wedged in the material. He looked at her. "You okay?" He asked. "She going to be okay?"

"She'll be sore for a while, she will be fine." Timmy said as Espa sighed and pushed her hair back. She looked over at Colby and David looking at the body of Hugh. She shivered.

"I'm sorry Espa." Don said as he patted her shoulder. "But thank you."

"No. No need for apologies. We got him." She said softly. She rubbed her stomach where he could see a bruise starting to form from the pipe and from the bullet.

He sighed. He helped her to her feet. She sighed and leaned against him as he pulled off his suit jacket and wrapped it about her bare shoulders as she stood in her bra and the mini skirt. She kicked off the shoes and walked with her husband out the door.

NUMB3RS

Espa woke the next morning. She looked about. The sun was up. She gasped and looked at the clock. It was past ten. She gasped and sat straight up in bed. She moved to get up, but the door opened.

"Easy." Don said softly. He was holding a bed tray with short legs on it. On the tray was a small tea pot, a cup and saucer, a tea bag, some toast, butter, jam, hash browns and an omelet. There also was a small vase with a small red rose in it. She knew it had come from the garden.

She looked up at him. "Breakfast in bed? What is the occasion? And I am late for work."

"No. I called it in." He smiled. "I have the day off and I wanted to thank you."

"You did not seriously cook this." She said looking down at it as he set it on her lap.

"Yes, well, I did the toast. Dad cooked the rest, but I wanted to thank you and make the day about you." He smiled at her as he sat down. "Eat up before it gets cold." He smiled at her. "I thought we could have a picnic on the beach or something."

She smiled at him and shook her head. "You do know how to impress a girl Agent Eppes."

"Only because without my wife I would not have cracked the case…even of I got my ass slapped by a gay man at a gay bar." He smiled at her as she ate and poured herself some tea.

She chuckled and looked at his backside. "Like I said before. It is a target because it is so nice." She grinned.

He laughed and leaned over to kiss her. "I do love you." He told her and smiled as laid back on his side to watch her eat. "Thank you again."

"I never had breakfast in bed before. I will have to savor it." She smiled.

He chuckled. "Indeed. Well, you deserve it." He said rubbing her leg softly.


	32. Big Brother is Watching You

**Big Brother is Watching You**

80   
Brothers

8  
Offices for Prayer

3  
Meals a Day

1  
Poison

Esperanza Eppes was out in the herb garden of St. Peter and St. Paul Abbey. Working beside her with his habit kilted to his knees was Brother Robert. In the garden with them were three novices pulling weeds.

She had arrived shortly after Sext prayer. She had walked into the abbey and listened to the final chant by the monks before Father Timothy had come out with Brother Robert, Brother Jerome, and Brother Cleeve.

She wore a large straw hat and wore a dirndl she had brought back with her from Germany. It was a great work dress and had an apron that she could use to wipe her hands on as she pulled carrots. She had a basket on her arm where she was collecting vegetables for the Abbey as well as herbs for Brother Robert.

Zephyr was in her cradleboard contently sleeping under the great oak tree that grew nearby and covered Brother Robert's herb hut with long fingered branches some twenty feet off the ground.

Near her there were several tall stocks of Wolf's Bane or Monk's Hood as it was more commonly known among people. The beautiful purple, blue, and while flowers reminded people of a cowled monk, but the plant was deadly if ingested and so Espa kept well clear, though Brother Robert had told her the juice helped soothe arthritis.

Espa found working a relaxing activity Saturday afternoons when her husband was working and Alan was playing poker with friends. Charlie was doing God knew what. She had left just after noon and he was still sleeping as far as she knew. She had made waffles for the two who had gotten up with her before nine and had some in the fridge if her brother-in-law woke and wanted them.

Espa lifted her body up and leaned back stretching her back after pulling a row of small carrots from the earth. She looked over at Brother Robert who was pulling up some radishes and carrots as well. She was thinning them.

There was a scream. Espa looked over as did Brother Robert. The novices straightened and gasped as a brother ran toward the other part of the garden where Father Timothy was working the earth.

"Father, Father. Come quick. Brother Reyse. He is…he is…" The man panted. He was pale and looked as though he had seen a ghost.

The Father looked at him and then followed him gathering his skirts in his hands to move faster. Espa followed with Brother Robert as Brother Jerome came and kept the younger novices at bay.

Espa removed her hat as she walked into the room, but Brother Robert who was ahead of her suddenly blocked her path. "You should stay back." He whispered.

"What why?"

"Brother Reyse is dead."

"I have seen dead people before." Espa said.

He lifted his hands. "This is the bathing room. It is not appropriate for you to enter my child." He said. His look was stern and she nodded.

"What can I do?" She asked.

Abbot Timothy walked out a hand to his mouth. "I need your help. Your husband works for the FBI." He said. He then saw eyes on them and nodded to her. "Come with me to my office." He said.

Espa nodded. She looked to Brother Robert. "Can you look after Zephyr?"

"I will bring her to you before I help keep the crime scene intact." He said solemnly.

Espa nodded and then followed Timothy through some heavy doors into his office. The Abbot's office in the abbey was sparse with only two chairs, a desk, and a fireplace. He offered Espa the chair facing the desk as he dropped into his own seat.

"This is not the first death here Espa." He said softly. He watched her eyes widen. "The LAPD has passed the death off as accidental. The first brother was Brother Ignatius." He sighed. "Do you think your husband could help us?"

"You think someone is killing them?" She asked.

"We had to bury one of our brethren in unholy ground as a suicide. I can not bury a second. The morale is already lowered, Espa. Please…" He took a breath. "His immortal soul is in jeopardy and only with your help can I save him from hell."

Espa took a breath. "I will talk to him. Two deaths in an abbey is a bit suspicious." She agreed. "What did the first die of?"

"The coroner said it was self induced poisoning from a vial of bella donna." The Abbot said. "The police found it in his room. Neither of these men would have killed themselves Espa. You have to believe me."

She nodded. "Nightshade is easy enough to come by." She sighed. "I will call Don and get him to do some checking." She promised. She reached over and touched his hand. Timothy looked worried and she knew it was for the brothers of the abbey and for the men who had died. "We will get to the bottom of this."

"I hope so." He said. "If they killed themselves then they are damned and must be buried away from the Christians in the graveyard, but if they were murdered than they can have Christian burial." He looked up at her. "Please…" He held her hand tight.

NUMB3RS

Don Eppes arrived at the abbey twenty minutes after his wife called him. On his way over to do some checking into the case LAPD had called him onto the case as suspicious circumstances. Two apparent poisonings at a holy abbey was bizarre to the LAPD homicide unit. Besides the FBI had Don's brother the math genius and Don, himself, who knew the Abbot and had asked for him to investigate when the detectives had shown up for the second body.

The Abbot refused to speak to them until the FBI showed up. He seemed to have more faith in their homicide unit than the LAPD. Don suspected there was more there than he knew right now.

Don spotted his wife. She stuck out sitting in her dirndl with Zephyr in a cradleboard. She was sitting with Zephyr with several novices in the front abbey yard as policemen busied about collecting evidence and interviewing.

Don walked to Espa. She looked up at him and David as they came toward her. "What is this giving me more work than I need right now?" Don said looking down at her. He noted there were several habited boys looking up at him in his suit with his FBI shield tucked into his front jacket pocket.

She pursed her lips and stood up. She looked at the boys. "I will be right back." She said in a motherly tone. She walked to the gardens and into Brother Robert's hut. The monk looked up at her from where he was making a draft of something. "Can we use your hut a moment brother?" She asked.

"Of course, Espa." He nodded. "I will be with Father Abbot." He made a quick exit.

She nodded and turned as her husband removed his sunglasses and looked at her. He sighed and then took a quick step to her to press a soft kiss to her mouth in greeting. "I really did not need this, but I seem to not have a choice in the matter." He said.

"Oh?" She sighed and looked at him.

"Yeah. LAPD is passing it off to me and the team. I am only going to look into this. If it is homicide will do a full investigation. And I may need you to smooth things over. I have no idea about monks and their ways of life." He leaned against the table and cocked his head chewing his gum as he suddenly looked thoughtful. "Kind of peaceful here isn't it? Is that why you come here?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Explain to me why you called me." He said leaning back on his palms.

"I was asked to by Father Timothy."

"I see. He does not think that the brothers would kill themselves."

"No." She sighed. "I am not sure I would risk my soul either really. I mean this abbey does a lot in the community. They have open doors to any needing aid." She sighed and shrugged. "I can not see someone taking this vocation only to end it in a suicide and be married away from all of it."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"A suicide is a mortal sin. They can not be buried in a church yard. It broke the Abbot's heart to have one of his flock buried outside the abbey because his death was rules a suicide."

"Okay." He nodded and sighed. "And Timothy wanted me to look into it because he did not believe the ruling?"

"He did not believe the first, but two within two weeks. He might have a point." She said.

He nodded. "Okay. I am going to talk with Timothy. Where is he?"

"His office I would imagine. Go through that door there and through the church and through the other heavy door. Knock on the third door. It is his office." She looked at him. "And it is Father Timothy or Father." She said. "He is an Abbot give him his due."

"Right." He sighed and put his sunglasses back on. "You okay?" He asked. "I will need to know what you saw and heard." He said.

"I am a suspect?" She asked.

"Well, you were here. You are a witness if nothing else." He said. "I will be back." He reached up and touched her cheek before moving off.

She nodded and went to go join the novices again.

NUMB3RS

Don followed Espa's directions, pausing to look at the beautiful interior of the church. He looked up and saw a flag hanging down from the ceiling. It was yellow and white with two crossed keys and a crown between them. He walked to look at it closer.

"It is the flag of the Vatican, Agent Eppes." Came a worn voice from his right. Don acted on instinct and he turned to look over with a hand moving to go to his duty weapon. When he saw Abbot Timothy standing there he relaxed and looked up at the flag again.

"What does it mean?" He asked. "I have not seen a Vatican flag in the other churches I have been in."

"It means we are a Basilica, a church that has been blessed by the Pope. For that we can bare his flag here as a mark of honor." The Abbot said taking a few steps forward. "Forgive me for startling you." He smiled a little as he eyed Don over his glasses. "But you have not come here to talk flags or even talk about the neo-gothic architecture." He sighed. "You are here because I asked for your help."

"Yes. Espa told me." Don nodded.

"Your wife is a very dear friend Agent." The Abbot walked to the altar and bowed his head and crossed himself before turning back to Don.

"What can you tell me about the brothers who had died?" Don asked.

"Thank you." The Abbot said.

Don looked at the man a moment. He looked more world worn than the last time he had seen him at the dinner party. "For what Father?"

"Not saying the brothers who committed suicide." Abbot Timothy said. He dropped gracefully onto a bench and looked up at Don. "I will answer all I can from you."

"How long had they been here?"

"Most of their lives." Abbot Timothy said. "I was here as a novice with Brother Ignatius." He shook his head. "Brother Reyse was kind and a favorite among the novices. He taught many to read." He sighed. "I do not understand why God is punishing us so." He said and rubbed his face.

"Where were you when they died?"

"Am I a suspect?" Timothy looked up.

"As much as my wife is." Don said. "Just standard questions."

"I was up for Matins when Brother Ignatius did not rise from his cot for the prayer. There were many with me. Also with Brother Reyse I was in the study reading and meditating. No one was with me except Brother Walker who brought my tea."

"How many brothers are here?"

"There are eighty total full time residents and twenty odd lay people and others."

A knock came to the side of them and Don looked up. Brother Robert came in with a mug of hot tea. "Here you are Father Abbot. This will relax you."

Don reached out. "What is that?"

"Mint with valerian to help his mind relax and rest." Brother Robert said.

The abbot drank the tea, though Don looked like he was about to protest. He sighed and looked at the brother. "You seem to know herbs."

"Yes."

"What are the symptoms of Bella Donna poisoning?"

"Like Strychnine actually. Spasms and such. It also causes hallucinations, but by the time those occur and the stomach cramps the person is well on the way to the grave. If you excuse me I must see Father Abbot to bed. It has been a trying day."

"Yeah. Go on." Don nodded and walked them go before talking a deep breath and looking up at the altar where Mary sat holding Jesus across her lap with the cross behind them. "Didn't die for all our sins with murders still about." He muttered and then went off to look for Espa and to curb the gnawing pain in his stomach from hunger.

He looked at his watch. Well no wonder. He had only had coffee and a Danish at nine that morning and it was rapidly getting close to three now. He needed food and his wife's gentle nature nearby.

NUMB3RS

Don walked into a small room off to the side of the church where there was music. Espa sat at an instrument the resembled a piano, but it sounded different. The song was soft and mournful as she played. He had never heard anything so sad and so pretty in his life.

He took a step further in and saw Zephyr sleeping in her cradleboard against the wall. He smiled. The child was content to be in the small pouch as if it brought her comfort.

He stepped to her as she looked up hearing his footfalls on the flag stones. He watched her hands moving as he realized she was playing from memory. "What are you playing?" he asked softly knowing that people could hear in the courtyard through the window.

"Irlande from Vangelis's Opera Sauvage." She said not looking directly at him as he hands played what he now could see was a synthesizer.

He watched her hands as they moved on the keys, caressing them gently as they created the soft melancholy tune. "I have to wait on the reports, but I think you and the Abbot are right. This is not a place for suicide. There is a support system here."

She nodded as she finished the song and turned to him. "Thank you." She said.

"Hey, I was called on anyway, but I would do any favor you asked…even look into a suicide case. I did for Charlie, you know." He sighed and moved to hug her. "Did you know them?"

"Brother Reyse was kind. He was the librarian, I believe." She looked. "A bath is a weird place to commit suicide." She said looking up at him.

He sighed. "Well, people who think it through sometimes want know mess, but it is not easy to drown yourself in a pool of water. Everything in you fights it." He looked down at her. "Come on, you need to leave this place for a bit." He said. "Abbot Timothy took some sort of sleeping draft from Brother Robert."

His tone made her look up. "What?" She asked. "Why do you look so…unhappy he did that?"

"He is the one with the most experience here in herbs and the first was killed with something called Bella Donna." He said. "It's a plant…"

"It is nightshade." She said.

"Really." He said. "I see. He is still a suspect."

"You know him and do you seriously think he would poison the Father Abbot with you there."

"Well I guess you are right." He said. He bent and lifted the cradleboard that held his sleeping daughter from where it rested against the wall. "Come on." He said gently. "We can grab an early dinner." He smiled and led the way to his suburban.

NUMB3RS

After dinner Don dropped Espa back at the abbey and transferred the car seat back to Espa's car with Zephyr sleeping in it. It always amused him what his daughter could sleep through. It also amazed him she still was not talking or even babbling. She would used baby noises and would sign things, but she would not talk. Espa had told him the doctor told her it was because she did not want to rather than anything else.

Espa drove little Zephyr home to be with her grandfather since Don had asked her to join him at the office. He joined her in the interrogation room with Colby and Megan to talk about the order and what she thought about monks killing themselves.

The toxicology report came in with David. Brother Reyse also died of Bella Donna poisoning. It was too much of a coincidence for Don and the team to ignore. Espa and Charlie watched as Don typed into the FBI network and he found that some of the prints lifted from the bathroom were from not so holy brothers.

Brother Andrew was a convict and had served eight years for manslaughter. Don looked at Espa and told her to go home as he gathered Megan to go retrieve Brother Andrew. Espa insisted on coming to see how the Father Abbot was doing. Don agreed if she did left his interrogation alone since he knew she did not think monks could kill.

NUMB3RS

Don, Megan, and Espa arrived at the Abbey. Espa nodded to Lay-Brother Paul, the door keeper, as they walked in. They walked toward the church hearing voices. Espa froze as she opened the heavy door.

"Don it's Vespers." She said. "You will have to wait." She said. She dipped her fingers in the water in the basin and touched her brow as she knelt and made a cross sign on her chest before rising.

He looked at her and then nodded. He looked at Megan and then copied her movements before awkwardly as she walked in and went to the benches. Don and Megan joined her as the brothers sang.

Twenty minutes later the Abbot walked to the altar and bowed as he crossed himself. He then walked up the aisle and saw Espa sitting there. "Espa. How nice of you to come and hear our praises to God." He said softly. He watched her rise and bow to him and kiss his hand.

A man walked up behind him. "Father, who are these people?" He asked.

"Friends, brother prior." Father Timothy said as Espa straightened. He kissed her brow gently. "Thank you for coming child. Agents. Welcome."

"Father Timothy." Don said rising. "Can you tell me who is Brother Andrew?"

"Of course. Is he a suspect?" The Abbot asked.

"No. We just need to talk to him." Don said with a reassuring smile.

"Very well." The Abbot said. "He is excused from Compline if your talk takes longer than you expect." He turned and nodded to a younger man walking away from them. His red hair made him distinctive. "That is Brother Andrew." He took a breath and looked at Don and leaned closer. "He has changed Agent Eppes."

"I am sure he has." Megan nodded.

Espa looked at the other man as Don and Megan went to corner Brother Andrew. She took the Abbot's arm and started walking with the other man behind them.

Don reached out and caught the younger man's arm. "Brother Andrew?"

The man jumped startled. "What do you want?" He asked his voice thick from an Irish Brogue.

"I'm Agent Eppes and Agent Reese here. We just want to talk to you."

"Now is not a good time. I have brothers to look after." Andrew said turning away.

"Father Abbot excused you." Don said.

The man sighed. "He thinks me guilty then."

"Are you?" Megan asked.

"No." Andrew turned to her. "I have seen much of the bad and evil in this world Agent Reeves. After a life of sin you have much to contemplate about. That is why I joined the abbey when I was released. I found God in jail and he did not turn his back on me as other did."

"You served for setting a pipe bomb for the IRA." Don said. "But you pleaded out to eight years because we wanted the top men you knew."

"I pray to God that I had not been a stupid teenager and run away and listened to those fools." Andrew said. "Why are you looking at me anyway? I was at the herb store when the body was discovered. I have several people who can tell you."

"Well we are just following the evidence." Megan said.

Andrew took a step forward and drew himself up. "I would never kill again. God showed me mercy once. I would not hope for it again. I feel for the families of those I murdered, I was a killer, but now I serve God." He looked at Don. "If there is nothing else. I need to check on some things before Compline."

Don nodded. "Go ahead. Just don't run away."

Andrew sighed. "I serve God and his wisdom. I will be here if you need me, but I swear on the Virgin I did not harm anyone other than the two killed in the pipe bomb. I would certainly never harm any of my brothers in Christ."

He walked off and Don looked at Megan.

"He's sincere. He knows he did wrong and he is sorry and I do not think he killed these two. He is right. There is no motive for him and he knows about jail. He seems not to want to go back."

Don nodded and led the way to try and find Espa as Megan followed. He found her in the garden surrounded by torches playing chess with the Abbot. He smiled. "We need to get you home to Zephyr, my love."

"Very well." She nodded. "Until next time Father." Espa rose and bowed.

"Good night Espa. May God be with you and your family."

"And yours as well Father." She said and the followed her husband away.

NUMB3RS

It was early the next morning when Don got the call about the third poisoning. This time the man had died in the library. The man lay with his head against a book actually looking peaceful compared to the other two.

Don sighed. They needed to catch this killer before he killed another one of the brethren. He set David and Colby to interviewing all the remaining brothers. Brother Andrew, Brother Robert, and the Abbot were exempt because they had already been interviewed and had alibis.

NUMB3RS

Espa had taken Zephyr to mass at the request of the Father Abbot. She sat with him for brunch at the abbey as her daughter nursed from her under the blanket she held against her body.

After Espa went home and found her husband there watching TV. It was technically his day off after all and he needed to talk to her.

"There you are." He said softly looking up at her.

"Where are dad and Charlie?" She asked.

"Shopping and the school I guess."

"On a Sunday?" She asked him. She let her daughter crawl on the floor and pull herself up. The girl could stand and walk a little bit on her own. She went to her husband and kissed him. "You are looking worn again my love."

"I can not believe someone would kill a Brother at an Abbey." He sighed. "I mean they are holy people."

"Holy people?" She sighed. "Well, I do envy them for their quiet existence, but to be so naïve when something like this strikes. The novices were terrified."

He smiled at her. "Nothing calms them like a mother." He reached up and touched her cheek. "We'll find him and bring him to justice. I know you are upset because your friend, the Abbot is."

"Yeah."

Don's phone rang. "Eppes. Yeah. You did what? Okay…I will be there." He sighed and wiped a hand over his eyes. "Colby arrested Brother Robert because the exact concentration of Bella Donna that killed the others was found in his hut." He sighed and stood up.

Espa looked up at him. "He was with me…he could not have…"

"I will interview him and see what he says. Colby said he went willingly to the station."

She nodded and watched him go as she reached for Zephyr to hold her.

NUMB3RS

Don sat looking at Brother Robert who sat across from him in the interrogation room. The brother was cool and collected as he watched Don and Colby standing behind him.

"We have the poison from your workshop that matches all three victims." Don said.

"So they have told me." Robert nodded.

"You do not seem so surprised." Colby said.

"I have many medicines that should not be ingested." Robert said.

"Who would have access to the hut where the Bella Donna liquid was kept?" Don asked.

"Everyone in the Abbey." Robert shrugged. "It is not locked."

"Maybe it should be." Colby said.

"Perhaps Agent Granger." Robert said. "But all the brothers need access if I am away in the town."

Don looked at him. "We can connect you to this Brother."

"I came down here voluntarily Agent Eppes. I came out of friendship to your wife. I also want to help find this wolf among the lambs." Robert sighed. "It is not very Catholic to kill and then to kill ones own brothers…" He shook his head. "I want to help."

"Would you know how much it would take to kill someone?" Colby stepped to him

"Of course. It would not take much." Robert said. "Mixed in food to hide the taste or tea." He shrugged.

"You seem to know a lot if you did not do it." Colby said.

"I am the herbalist. I am supposed to know the good and evil of the plants." He looked at Don. "Am I suspect then?"

"The only evidence we have links you to the crimes. I am sorry." Don said.

"Fair enough. Is it enough to keep me here or can I return for prayer?" Robert asked.

"An Agent will drive you back." Don said.

Robert rose. He looked at Colby levelly. "So you know Agent. If it was me who had killed these men, which it was not, but I would have used something that is not as common as nightshade." He shook his head. "There are many poisonous plants that would not show up on a toxicology report. Why would I have put my head in a noose with something as commonly known as nightshade?"

Don arched an eyebrow before walking out and calling an agent to him to take the brother home. He turned to look at Colby after Robert was down the hall.

"You are just letting him go?" Colby asked.

"We don't have enough to hold and if we are going off who had access my own wife has knowledge of Bella Donna and she was there as well. I suspect her as much as I do Brother Robert. I know the man to start with and I know he is right. If he wanted to kill he would have used something better."

"I can not believe you are taking that as a defense." Colby said.

"Megan profiled our killer and this man is not him. Brother Robert is not antisocial and he is not depressed." Don said. "No we are looking for someone else."

NUMB3RS

Espa went to the church after dark. She was waiting for Compline. She wore her long black hood to blend into the shadows of the great building. She pulled up her cowl and went to stand by an altar.

She heard the door open to her right. She watched a novice sneak into the room. He looked about quickly to see if anyone was around. He lifted a stone in the floor and put something in there.

Espa watched carefully from the shadows. The youth then scurried off as the Compline bell tolled out. Espa stayed in the shadows as the brothers filed passed her. She stayed there and then looked about. No one.

She dropped and lifted the stone and looked inside. She one of her gloves to lift out a small bottle and a lock of red hair. She cocked her head. She could hear the brothers singing. She took a breath and smelled the bottle. It smelled clean and she knew it. The smell was from the oil of Monkshood. The bottle had leaked as well.

She smiled and replaced the stone and went toward her car her cloak billowing behind her as she moved like a shadow given life. She went to her car and called Don. She told him she was on her way to the office where he had been about to leave with evidence and that he needed to search the brother's belongings.

NUMB3RS

Don was waiting for her when she walked in holding the bottle with her gloved hand. She smiled at him. "I saw a brother put this in hallway hide-a-way." She smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

"What is it?" He asked.

"An empty bottle of Monkshood." She said.

"And…"

"Don…Monkshood is another poison." She looked at him seriously. "If it is empty it has been used and someone may die." She took a breath. "It is harder to conceal, you smell it right."

He nodded. "Yes." He held open an evidence bag for her. "So our poisoner may have changed his MO."

"Or you have a copy cat." She said.

"I hope not."

"Me too." She said taking off her glove. She looked at him. "It was not Brother Robert who had the bottle. It was a novice." She sighed. "You need to search through their things. All the brother's things."

"Why?" He asked.

"See the bottle leaked. If you find the thing it was in…you will have your killer." She smiled at him. "You can not wash out the oil of Monkshood or Bella Donna."

"I see what you are saying…" He looked at her. "You do know if I find the killer I will have to question and arrest him."

"If it stops him killing innocent brothers…than so be it."

He nodded.

NUMB3RS

NUMB3RS

The next morning Don and a small army of agents descended on the abbey with search warrants to search the belongings of all the brothers in the abbey.

Don searched the Abbot's home himself with Megan. Colby and David helped and over saw the rest of the search. Don and Megan joined them after the house had nothing.

It took more than two hours, but then an agent lifted a roll of cloth that was stained black. Don took it in his hands and smelled it. "This one is monkshood." He said. "Who does this belong to?" He asked.

"Brother Gideon." A voice said near him. "He newly took orders."

Don nodded. "And where is he?" He looked over at the monks. One suddenly ran. "He's running!" He barked into his microphone at Colby, David, and Megan.

Don and Colby took one way and Megan and David the other. They cornered him against a wall. Abbot Timothy stood there with the prior.

"Gideon…why?" He asked.

"Why? My father left me to rot here? I never have understood your ways." The man said looking at the agents with their guns on him. "You were my next target Father. At dinner. You were supposed to die like the others who told me that I did not deserve heaven because of my family."

"That is not true. Everyone does. Even sinners can redeem themselves." Timothy said.

"Not this one." He smiled and pulled a vial out from his pocket and before the agents could stop him he drank it.

Don came to him. "We need an ambulance to the Abbey now!"

"You are too late." Gideon said. "Hemlock does not take hours to kill. It takes minutes." He said as he started to cough a little.

Don shook his head and stood up as he put his gun in his holster as Megan watched the killer die.

Timothy and the prior crossed themselves. He looked at Don. "Thank you my son. He took the coward's way out."

"Well, in a way it is justice. One life for those he has taken." Don shrugged.

"Even God would have forgiven him if he repented." Timothy sighed. He shook his head. "If I would have known he was…"

"No…" Don said. "This is not your fault. Don't beat yourself up." He looked up at the prior who stood sternly and quietly there. "Take him to get a cup of tea would you."

The man nodded and led the stunned abbot away.

Don turned back and looked at the brother on the ground. Unhappiness was such a messed up reason to start killing other people. The abbot was right. He had taken the coward's way out and would not pay in this life for the crimes he committed, but maybe in the here after he would.

NUMB3RS

Don returned home and found Zephyr drawing with marker a big sheet of white paper on the wall. He watched and then gasped as he saw her go off the paper. "Margot!" He gasped.

She turned to look at him as Alan looked up from where he sat. "Oh it is all right. They are these new markers that only mark on the paper for them." He smiled. "Though I remember you marking the walls."

"And I remember cleaning them." Don sighed. He went into the kitchen to get a beer and saw Espa at the table with a bunch of hard boiled eggs. He came back and put and arm about her. "Hey. We got him." He said.

"You did?" She said startled. She smiled. "And he will pay."

"In hell, yeah." Don said taking a drink of his beer. "He killed himself in the church yard."

She gasped. "Oh how awful for the brothers." She said.

"Father Timothy seemed to take it well enough. He watched. I think he understands that this man was doomed to hell." He eyed her as he sat down. "What are you doing?"

"Making deviled eggs." She said.

He looked at the yokes, mustard, miracle whip, ranch dressing, and pickle relish in a bowl. She finished cutting the last egg and then mixed up the yoke with the other things in it. He watched fascinated by how easy she made cooking look.

She then spooned the mixture back into the whites that were on a tray. She had three extra and she lifted one up to his mouth. He opened it and took the tasty treat in his mouth. He smiled at her as he wiped a little from his lip and smiled as she ate one herself.

She got some on her lips and her husband leaned in and kissed her licking her lips with his tongue as he held her softly to him. He had not kissed her for a while and he wanted to know how much he cared about the pain she had been in.

A soft cough made him pull back to see his brother there looking at them. Don felt Zephyr at his leg and he lifted her up. He smiled and kissed her cheek as she hugged his neck.

Espa smiled at Alan and Charlie and offer them some of the eggs. The Eppes family was together and all of them would care for each other. Don knew though his brother was different from him in everyway he still loved him and would never think to kill him. He knew Charlie was the same way. But Big Brother would watch out for his younger one and always would.


	33. Evolution

**OOC…Sorry had to get back in the groove of this. Enjoy!**

**Evolution**

4  
Professors

3  
Students

2  
Sides

1  
Murder

Esperanza Eppes was leaving her classroom after giving her lecture of her History 312 students about the royals of Saudi Arabia. She walked down the hall and down the stairs of the Liberal Arts building. She needed to move to make the lecture and the knee high boots and skirt she wore did not lend themselves to walking fast with the three inch heels on the boots. She moved easier than she expected, however, and had only a flight to go and three buildings away.

"Esperanza." A voice called behind her. She stopped and looked back.

"Alexander." She said nodding to the newest history department faculty member as he came down the stairs. He wore a blazer, red tie, nice shirt, and khaki pants.

"Where are you headed? I can carry that bag for you."

"You are kind." Espa smiled at the handsome man only a couple years older than she. "I am running late for a lecture and…"

"Creationism versus Evolution from Dr. Abbey and Dr. Hansen?" He asked.

"Yes." She nodded. "I am supposed to meet Charlie Eppes there."

"I am going there as well. Charlie Eppes, huh? Well, you seem to have an amazing amount of friends in your circle Esperanza. I hear he is a math genius." He came forward to her. "Here. Let me help you." He took the bag from her before she could protest and started walking beside her. He was about the same height as Don was, but he had blue eyes that watched her.

Espa pulled her suit jacket a little closer, not liking the way his eyes wondered on her as they walked. She was a married woman with a child and refused to rise to the bait of flirting back. "Charlie is a very dear friend." She said.

"You are dating?" He asked. There was a little jealousy in his voice.

"No…he is my…"

"That is wonderful to be just friends with him. I hear he does not have a great track record with women."

They arrived at the biology building and she started up the stairs to the third floor lecture hall where the lecture was taking place. After this she had just enough time to grab lunch with Charlie and maybe Larry before her second class of the day. Then she would go home and rest a little before starting dinner for her family.

"Do you remember the room Alexander?" She asked.

He looked about. "I thought it was 316. And please call me Alex."

"I did as well." Espa saw the door and headed for it her heels clicking on the tiles. Just as she laid her hand on the door she heard three pops in the air. Gunfire!

She froze and looked about. Suddenly three people barreled into the door and knocked her back and flat on the ground. She cracked her head and lay dazed. She could see Alexander through the waves of her vision. She could see his hand come to her face. His lips were moving, but she could not hear the words.

"Esperanza….can you hear me?" Alex asked. It was clear she could not. She looked about. Alex reached for his phone and called for help.

"Alex…" She could not quite form the words and they sounded slurred to her own ears.

"It's okay…help is coming…can you hear me? Esperanza?" Alex tapped her face and then watched her eyes roll back into her head.

Then all went black.

NUMB3RS

Don Eppes arrived shortly at David and Colby to the school shooting at Cal-Sci. He walked into the lecture hall from the back. There were about fifty people huddled together talking softly among themselves. Beyond on the floor was a body covered by a white sheet on the ground by a table. A police officer was talking to a man to the left of the area and the man seemed shaken.

He took a breath. "What is up David?" He said seeing that Larry, Amita, and Charlie were part of those seated.

"Several people left before campus security could lock down the place." David said. "We are running them down. "A woman was trampled outside. The medics are with her right now. I have not gotten a chance to speak to her yet. Charlie and Larry told me that Espa should have been here, but was not. The shots came from close to them and killed Dr. William Hansen, a biological anthropologist."

"Okay. Well keep talking to people here." Don nodded to his brother who came to him. "Hey Charlie."

"Hey." Charlie swallowed and looked about. "Espa was supposed to be here. I am worried Don. She said she would be five minutes late because of her class, but she never showed. I checked my voicemail and she did not call."

"That is not like her, is it?" Don said. "I will call her phone. David I am going to talk to the woman who is outside." David nodded as Don turned and walked toward the forward entrance. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed his wife. He got no answer, only he voice male and blinked. Was she a hostage? He swallowed. He was not sure he could go through that again. He had nearly lost her and their baby to a bank robber wanting a way out.

He stepped into the hall and saw two paramedics and a stretcher. The woman looked small wrapped up in a blanket. He could not see her face because her head was facing away, but she had long braided dark hair. Rubbing her arm was a young man.

"…okay with some fluids and time to recover. She cracked her skull pretty hard on the ground and is going to need stitches. She also has a minor concussion." A paramedic said. Don nodded the small pool of blood near them where she had evidently fallen.

He pulled out his ID and shield. "Don Eppes, FBI. Is she conscious?"

The paramedics nodded. "Barely. She was rattled pretty good sir, but she can answer. Make it quick though. She needs stitches for the gash behind her skull."

"All right." Don stepped over to look at her face and froze. "Oh my God." He whispered. His eyes leveled to the man who was rubbing her arm and shoulder. Rationally, Don knew it was helping keep her calm, but instantly his jealousy flared at a man, any man, let a stranger, touching his wife. He squatted down so she could focus on him as he tried to ignore the man touching her.

The stranger looked at him. "Agent…this really is not a good time. She was run over by three people and cracked her head for God's sake."

"Who are you?" Don asked as he touched Espa's cheek gently as he did not look at the man. "Espa?" He said softly. She blinked and then looked at him though she blinked several more times as though she was having trouble focusing. A tear escaped her eye as she saw him.

"Dr. Alexander Breton." The man said. "What the hell are you doing?" He asked as Don rubbed the tear away gently.

"Trying to talk to her, if you don't mind." Don said at last meeting the blue eyes of the man who was trying to protect her out of friendship, but Don did not really care at the moment. She was his wife and no other man should be comforting her. At least not a man whom he knew little about. Dad and Charlie were a different matter. Hell, Colby and David would be better than this man.

"I do mind. She needs help, not to talk to a fed." Alex said.

"Shut-up." Don hissed losing patience with the fool of a man. He straightened. "Colby." He called. The man looked up from a witness he was talking to.

"Excuse me." Colby said to the lady. He came over. "What is it?" He asked.

"The injured woman is Espa." Don said in an undertone. "Can you and David see to things here while I go with her?" He asked.

"Sure. I'll get Megan to come too." Colby said.

"Great thanks." Don nodded.

"Hope she is okay." Colby said before returning to his work.

Don nodded to the paramedics. "I will ride with her."

"Like hell you will. I am a friend." Alex said. "She needs someone with her she trusts…"

"Don…" Espa said and then yelped as they moved the stretcher up to move it.

Don nodded to the man. "I am a closer friend than you will ever be." He said and took her hand in his as he walked with the stretcher.

They loaded her in the ambulance and Don jumped in and took her hand again. "Hey." He said. "Are you okay?"

"Hurts…" She whispered.

"I know." He said. He averted his eyes as they tried to get a needle into her. "Her veins roll." He said as he concentrated on her eyes. "Did you see anything, sweetheart?"

"No…heard the gunshots…" She said. "Then the people knocked me down. Then Alex was there. Then you…" She winced as a needle went in again. "Can't remember…much else…so…fuzzy…"

Don flinched with her. "It's okay, honey." He hated seeing her hurt. He could look at any body, fresh or long since dead, but he hated needles. Espa was so strong to take all of them she did. He kissed her hand softly his gaze locked with hers.

"You know her sir?" The paramedic asked watching the care between them. The tender affection was beyond that of an agent with a witness. The man knew the woman.

Don smiled a little. Of course. He had not made that clear yet that he was her husband and that he was going because of that. "I am her husband." Don said. "Don Eppes."

"Her name that the doctor gave was Urriola…bait…ia?" The man said slowly. "Esperanza?"

"Urriolabetia. Her professional name, but it is hyphenated with Eppes at the end legally. She just does not use it around the school." Don said with a sigh. He noted they finally had a good vein and had liquid going in. "Espa, honey, look at me. Don't go to sleep." He said touching her cheek gently as he saw her eyes drift shut. "You need to stay awake for us." They opened weakly and looked at him.

"He's right." The paramedic nodded.

Espa took a shaky breath and wondered how many bruises she would have by morning. She relaxed, but kept looking at Don. "Tired." She said. Her voice was small and child like.

Don took a breath and kissed her cheek. "I love you." He whispered to her.

She blinked at him. "Know…" She whispered.

"That's the concussion, hun." The paramedic said gently patting her hand. "You need to stay with us."

NUMB3RS

After twelve stitches and a long afternoon in the hospital, the doctors felt they could send Espa home to rest. She had a terrible headache and rest now due to the trauma would be thing. Her concussion had been mild enough to not really affect her too greatly, but she was still in need of relaxation.

Don had stayed with her trading phone calls with Megan and the team as they started to compile the information they had. It would be tomorrow or later for the ME report to come back.

He had been forced to on a couple of occasions to put ice chips against the small of Espa's back ad her breasts to wake her from drifting to sleep. He had enjoyed that a little, but he knew sleep was bad at a time like this.

He had talked about her class topic for the day, basically letting her retell her lecture to stay awake. Then he had to tell her about Dr. Hansen being the one who was shot. She seemed upset by that, but did not verbalize it.

Don had returned to work after signing her release forms and Alan had come to see to her. He knew that his father would make sure his wife behaved. Alan knew well how stubborn Espa could be, but also had a strong enough will to win her over most of the time.

Don sighed as he walked into the office bullpen. "Hey." He said nodding to Megan and Colby who were sitting there talking about some people they had interviewed. He quickly walked by to get a cup of coffee, but quickly returned to speak to his team.

"Hey. How is Espa?" Megan asked. "Colby told me she was the stampede victim."

"A little worse for wear, but all right. The concussion wasn't serious." Don said.

"With her martial arts skills I am surprised she did not snap roll." Colby said.

"She caught the door against the side of her head." Don said. "It stunned her and she was knocked to the ground. Twelve stitches and a hell of a headache." He smiled ruefully. "I am going to be feeding Zephyr tonight I am sure of it." He took a breath. "What have we got?"

"Dr. William Hansen was quite the vocal man for evolution. Right now we are looking at his rival who was there debating, Dr. Erich Abbey, a hardcore creationist." David said.

"And why?" Don asked.

"Well, they were rivals. Dr. Abbey has means and motive." Colby said. "Your most vocal opponent gets whacked you get a leg up."

Don nodded. "All right bring him in."

His cell phone rang. "Eppes." He said.

"Excuse me, I am looking for Agent Don Eppes." A voice said that was familiar and male.

"This is he." Don said sitting down at his desk.

"This is Dr. Alexander Breton. I was wondering what you did with Dr. Urriolabetia, since you signed her paperwork at the hospital."

Don sighed. "She is well. She is at home if you must know." He said. "Do you have some message for her?"

"Not really for you to hear Agent."

Don shook his head. "I can tell her for you."

"Why you have her under guard or something?"

"No." Don said. He sighed. "I really do not have time to debate this with you Dr. Breton. If you have information for my case please tell me. Otherwise…"

"I can give you the transcripts of the last three debates."

"That would be helpful." Don nodded.

"All right. I will drop them by. Also if you see Esperanza, ask her why her she is not answering her phone."

"I will do so." Don said. "Good bye." He clapped his phone shut and blew out a breath. "Damn idiot." He muttered. He rose to his feet and looked at Megan. He then dialed his wife.

"Hello?"

"Hey honey." Don said. He could hear the tiredness in her voice. "Why are you not answering you phone?"

"I thought I did."

"A doctor called and asked why you were not talking to him." Don said.

"Oh, Alex…"

"Is he harassing you?" Don asked bristling a little.

"No…harassing is not the right word. He follows me like a lovesick puppy." She sighed. "Also since I made chair for next semester I…"

"What? You are department chair?" He asked.

"Yes. Did I not tell you?"

"No." He said. He sighed. "We can discuss that later. Are you teaching tomorrow?"

"Yes." She said. "Why?"

"I need you to see if you can get information on Dr. Abbey for me. Google him and find what else you can find." Don said. "Or get Charlie to if you are too tired."

"No…I can do it…" She said.

"Do not wear yourself out." Don said.

"I won't Agent. I promise."

"Hey, I love you." He said.

"I know." She smiled. "Why else do you think I tolerate you?" She said a smirk in her words.

"Ouch…" He hissed.

She made a kissing noise into the phone. "I will see you later Mr. Man." She said playfully.

"Bye…" He said and shook his head.

NUMB3RS

Don sat looking across at Dr. Erich Abbey. The very full of himself man watched Don as much as Don was watching him.

"I really have classes I need to teach." Abbey said.

"You are down here as my prime suspect in a murder investigation Dr. Abbey." Don said.

"I did not kill William." Abbey smiled.

"You had means and motive. That makes you a very good candidate. Even if you did not pull the trigger. You could have had someone else do it for you."

"I debated all the time with William. It was debate."

"I understand at times it got a little heated." Don said looking at his notes.

"Of course it could. We believe in different views, but we still respected each other." Abbey eyed him. "I could no sooner kill William than I could my wife."

"A strange line of defense for a man with domestic violence charges on his record." Don said.

"How dare you look into those files." Abbey hissed. "My wife and I are very much in love and I would never harm her."

"Look. You are not lawyered up so I think you want to know what I got. I got you." Don said. "I got you with motive, means, a bad temper, and a history of violence."

"You have no evidence or I would be arrested by now."

Don just watched the man trying to gauge him.

NUMB3RS

Megan drove to the Eppes family home. Espa had called to let them know what she had found. Megan was thankful. Espa met her at the door and smiled as she stood with her hair up making it hard to see where her bandage and stitches were.

Espa found that Dr. Abbey had private money from an inheritance because his father was a co-discoverer of a drug for AIDS victims. Also the man provided thousands in the Creationism way of thought. In the Bible Belt he paid for school's lawyers to put labels on or outright ban evolutionary discussion.

Megan was thankful and went to go show the information to Don back at the office. It would help them if Abbey was responsible.

NUMB3RS

Don sighed as he walked out of the interrogation room. Abbey was amazingly arrogant, but he did not seem to be the type to want someone dead. Though with Espa's information mining she found and Megan had brought in…who knew. Perhaps the man was right and he was framed.

"Agent Eppes?" A petite blonde agent said softly. "Your father is here."

"Where?" Don asked suddenly concerned about his father, Charlie, Zephyr, and Espa all at once.

"In the lobby sir."

"Thanks." Don said and walked out to see his father. "Dad. What's going on?" He asked touching his father's arm. "Everything all right?" He took a breath. "Is Espa and Margot all right?"

"I called you and you did not call back. You have not called your wife all day…" Alan said eying his son.

"I would have eventually." Don said. "Espa knows how it is." He sighed. "Anything else?"

"I need you and Espa to be home tomorrow for a date I am having."

"A date?" Don smiled. "So like a double date?"

"Something like that." Alan nodded. "She is a yoga instructor and she is very flexible and vegan. I talked to Espa about it and she said she would help cook. Can you come home in time?"

"I can try, but I can not promise anything with my work…"

"Don…Espa has a work load too and she makes time." Alan said. "Between being a professor, being a maid for three men, and a mother…"

Don rolled his eyes at the thin reprimand and sighed. "I will see what I can do. You could take her somewhere low-key and do fine…hell bring Espa along if you are nervous…"

"I want it to be memorable not low key." Alan said. "I have not been on many dates since your mother died and I would appreciate the support."

"Hey remember I told you about beer and pizza at a laundry mat. It was my favorite date other than my first with Espa with ice cream." He smirked. With two small children in tow…

"Terry seemed to have a different thought on that." Alan reminded him.

"Espa loved our dates…" Don countered.

"Yeah, and that is how as I recall I got a grandbaby before you married her." Alan said jabbing that knife again.

Don took a breath. "Low dad…" He hissed. "Admit it…you are glad of it…"

"I never said I wasn't." Alan said. "So you will be there?"

Don sighed. "I will try my hardest…Espa would understand that…so should you."

"I can live with that…" Alan said as he got into the elevator.

NUMB3RS

Don was tired and needed a good beer, maybe a shoulder rub from his wife. He walked up the stairs and froze as he saw a young though beautiful woman sitting in one of the chairs on the porch reading as she listened to the crickets.

Her dark hair was braided and over one shoulder as she sat crossways to the chair. She wore a tank top and shorts despite the cool night. She looked up hearing him as he coughed a little so as not to surprise her at his approach.

"Don!" She cried happily and jumped up so fast she knocked her book out of her arms. She bounced to him and hugged him about his middle burying her face against his chest.

"Munchkin?" He said in surprise.

She then looked up offering her cheek for a kiss from him as he stared stunned at his wife's sister. Lupe Urriolabetia was blooming into womanhood and blooming a little more quickly than Don's liking.

She laughed and bounced into his arms and he staggered backwards causing her to laugh more as he stumbled back and then caught his balance. "Hey easy…you are not so little anymore." He said as he reached up and affectionately tousled her hair. He smiled when he saw the denim jacket on the chair bore the LA FBI patch on it. "When did you get in town? Espa did not mention it."

"It was a surprise." She said watching as he dropped to a seat against the planter wall at the far side of the porch. They were at nearly equal heights that way and he could look at her dark eyes. She had two earring piercings in her left ear and one in her right. "It's spring break." She said.

The junior high student shifted to look at the stars. He watched her. She was filling out and she was still bubbly, though quieter now. She had changed significantly since her run in with near death and he was sad to see it. She deserved to be a kid as long as she could, but that was not to be. She had called Don, Alan, and Espa often. Espa talked to her nearly every other day and Don talked to her at least once a week.

"How is school going buddy?" He asked softly.

"All right." She said. She looked up hearing the soft sound of Espa singing nearby to Zephyr. "Tiny has gotten big hasn't she?" She said absently.

"Yeah." Don sighed. "I can't believe she is almost twenty-four months. She still isn't talking though."

"Maybe she has nothing to say." Lupe said looking back at him.

"Maybe, but most kids at least babble. She just cries when she wants something or watches you." Don said. "The doctor said there is nothing else wrong with her." He sniffed the air. "Come on." He said rising to his feet and putting a hand on her thin shoulder which was nearly to his breast now. She would be taller than Espa was, if she was not already. "Dinner is ready." He smiled and hugged her about her shoulders as they went to the door. "It is good to see you. I am just tired because of several stacked cases. And Dad wants me to be here for a date tomorrow…"

"I can watch Zephyr for you." She said.

"That would be wonderful." Alan said looking up from the paper.

Don shot Lupe a look before sighing. "Hey, my answer is the same dad. I will be here if I can escape."

"What is your case about?" Lupe asked flopping into a chair. Gretchen jumped up into her lap and promptly rolled on her back so Lupe could rub her belly. Lupe laughed. "Spoiled beast…" She muttered. Then she rattled off something that was no doubt in Basque because Don did not have a clue what she said.

"I really should not…" Don started as he walked toward the kitchen to get a beer.

"And what does Evolution versus Creationism have to do with it?" She continued. "Why is it bad for someone to believe we came from monkeys since we can prove that and we can not prove the other…"

Don froze. "Who told you that?" He looked at his father who lifted his hands.

"Charlie." She said smiling at him. "I do not understand why someone would die over something so silly. I mean, why can you not have both?" She asked.

Don looked at her. Not only had she grown in body, but so had her mind. "I am not really sure Munchkin." He said truthfully. "You bring up an interesting point sweetheart."

Espa came out with Zephyr in a sling at her hip. "Dinner is ready."

NUMB3RS

Don spent most of the next day trying to put together what was clearly a hit on Dr. Hansen. It was difficult and Don realized after the three people left that had knocked over his wife had been found and none of them guilty, that the killer had remained in the room and been a witness until they had been dismissed. Clever.

Don set his team and himself to re-interviewing all the witnesses and Dr. Abbey. At a little after one Espa, Lupe, and Zephyr came to join Don for lunch. They had brought him some Chinese and he pushed the stroller toward a room where they could have some privacy. He was stopped by Megan who reached in and stole Zephyr from her father before he could protest. The curly haired bombshell laughed at her uncle Megan and grinned at Colby and David as they came over to see her. They both kissed her little hands and playfully made faces at her.

Don just rolled his eyes and continued his hunger getting the better of him since he knew she was safe. He sat with Lupe expertly eating next to him with chopsticks. Espa was as well across from him. He sighed as he dug into his with a fork feeling very American.

Zephyr, who was walking now steadily on her feet, was eager to show her "aunt" and "uncle" her ability as they had to chase her around the office. When she started to fuss Colby scooped her up and promptly took her to her mother and father.

Espa was amused and then offered her daughter a cookie, which instantly had a smile on her face. Zephyr wandered triumphantly around the interrogation room with the half eaten cookie cooing as Colby watched.

Colby looked starved so Espa offered him some of her pork. He smiled and tried not to enjoy being fed by his boss's wife too much. Don was watching him, but his eyes were also on Zephyr as she pressed her nose to the glass looking out at the people.

Colby smiled and went to her and pointed at the people talking nonsense to her. Don was impressed. For a man with no children, Colby seemed to do really well with Zephyr, except when she was upset and then he was afraid of her.

After a quick kiss to his wife and child and a kiss to Lupe's cheek, Don sent them on their way. Colby asked David who the young beauty was with them and David immediately hushed him. He informed his partner that the girl was only fourteen or fifteen and she was Don's little sister. After she kicked Colby's ass, Don would kill him. Colby took the hint.

Don used Charlie to try a figure out a model for the shooting. The killer had fired three times close to Charlie and no one had seen him. Charlie and Amita did a modeling program to see where the shots would have come from.

It showed that the shots came from two rows back from them from seat F16. Don and the team sifted through their notes to find who had said they had been sitting there. When no one was discovered, Don ordered everyone in the surrounding seats to be brought in and their financial records looked at.

NUMB3RS

Don arrived home shortly before six to join his wife and his father for their double date. Lupe was upstairs watching TV and playing with Zephyr in the solarium. Don helped his father set the table as Espa cooked looking at her vegan cookbook she had bought for this woman.

"You know dad, I thought you learned your lesson about blind dates." Don said as he looked at the silverware making sure it was right and the glasses.

"I need to experiment more." Alan said.

"Well Vegans are not normal." Don said.

"Don't be so judgmental." Espa said at his elbow as she brought in a fresh salad of butter lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. She looked at her husband dressed in a black long sleeve shirt and black pants. "You look good." She smiled.

"So do you." He said admiring her simple dress.

"Oh, the wine…I forgot to chill it…" Alan said.

"Hey, relax. We got it." Don said heading for the kitchen.

Espa walked in and smiled at him. "He is really nervous." She said leaning against the counter.

He smiled at her as he put the wine in the fridge. He walked over to her and pressed his body to hers. He kissed her his hands bracing to either side of her hips against the counter.

Espa smiled and pushed him off. "You are distracting the cook."

He chuckled. "The cook should be happy dad is in the next room or I may have ravished her on that counter. You look good. What is that perfume you are wearing?"

"Vertigo." She said with a shrug as she returned to her pots. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms about her middle. "Don…" She whispered. She was a little annoyed, but it would be so easy to just let him has his way and enjoy it, but she knew that would have to wait until later when it was just the two of them in their room. He kissed her neck and then her ear gently. "Just be mannerly." Espa said letting him hold her. It was a wonderful comfort to have him just hold her like that.

"Why do I have to be mannerly? I have a wife." He smiled as he kissed the base of the back of her neck.

They both looked up as the doorbell rang.

NUMB3RS

Colby, Megan, and David ran down the potential suspects. All of them seemed to be clear and they all seemed to like Dr. Hansen's theory. One man, however, Jesse Royce, was very firm that Evolution was the only way of thought and such debates were silly.

They had no one who jumped out and no one had gotten cash except financial aid of those there. Back to Square One…

NUMB3RS

Don stood in the kitchen with his father as he uncorked a bottle of wine as Espa played hostess to Alan's date. The woman was petite and not very attractive, but perhaps she had some other good qualities.

"What do you think of her?" Alan asked his son.

"Too mousey for me." Don said softly.

"Mousey? Your wife is mousey, hell it is her nickname."

"From years ago Dad. She can kick my ass. She may be small, but she is mighty. I like that about Espa. If I get out of line she can put cuff me with my own cuffs."

"That is an interesting turn-on."

"Hey, can you blame me?" Don smirked at him.

His father blushed. "I…uh…"

Don chuckled loving his father being uncomfortable with his words even more than he was uncomfortable with the date he had.

NUMB3RS

Megan started looking into student files about academic performance and such things. Maybe there was a lone wolf among the sheep somewhere.

Colby reviewed the campus security footage while David looked over accounts given again. It was going to be a long night.

NUMB3RS

Don and Espa looked at each other as the woman named Lynda sat next to Alan and across from Don. Espa just picked up her glass of red wine and took a large swallow. This woman was more vegan than she had given credit for.

"So you are a Yoga Instructor." Espa said.

"Yes…and I specialize in detoxing the body and mind." The high pitched voice said. "That is why I do not eat anything that is not windfall or been killed naturally like tubers."

"Tubers?" Don asked. He winced as Espa's nails dug into his thigh.

Alan looked at them a little apologetically.

"Potatoes Don." Espa said out of the corner of her mouth.

"Oh." He said and took his glass.

Espa rose to fetch the food. "Alan and I prepared a wonderful meal for you. I hope you like it."

"Well it if it is all windfall. If you take it from the tree than you are killing it…"

Alan cocked his head. "Killing it? How can you kill something that is not really alive…"

"Well, I suppose I can not be too particular with the food at a stranger's home." She looked up at Espa. "And you are a woman. Why do you slave in an oven for these men?"

Espa had been dealing with this ultra feminism attitude since the woman had arrived. She turned back from the door. "You know…Lynda…I am a feminist free thinking woman. I do not slave for the men of this house. I enjoy it." She walked to the woman.

Lynda rose to her feet. "I see the system has warped your brain to thing that is a good thing."

Espa's hand knocked her face to the side in a resounding slap before Alan or Don could stop her. Don just smirked into his wine glass and allowed his wife to take care of the woman. He had grown tired of her presence in the first five minutes.

Lynda looked up at her horrified. "You…you hit me!" She squeaked.

"Yes. I can hit harder than my husband can. I am not some little mouse to be bullied. Now get your little ultra-too-good-for-the-world-ass out of here before I remove it." Espa said.

"I have never been more insulted in all my life…" Lynda gasped.

Alan laughed as he saw his son watching his wife. "You are young yet."

The woman grabbed her purse and walked out leaving the Eppes family to crumble into fits of uncontrolled laughter at the ridiculous woman.

NUMB3RS

Don woke the early the next morning. After eating the meal Espa had prepared the two had gone upstairs quietly allowing Lupe to watch Zephyr a while longer as they talked, which it always did, ended in a bout of lovemaking. It was far more than the physicality of their bodies moving together with his manhood within her, it was a mental bonding as well. It completed what they had.

He smiled seeing his wife stir a little. He had retrieved his daughter shortly after the first round of lovemaking. After a chat about Espa picking Alan's next date they snuggled and soon had another gentle round.

He dressed quickly, smiling a little. His wife made it so he did not have to cook for himself or clean his own clothing, and she enjoyed it. He just did not care for his brother and father getting away with the same treatment all the time.

He gave his wife a quick kiss and went to work early to avoid the traffic. He walked in and made a cup of coffee for himself first thing before he faced Colby who was already there. Did the man ever sleep? Don wondered. Course pot calling the kettle black came to his head as well. Being an FBI agent came with some measure of insomnia.

Don stared at the board. The only suspect that they had was Dr. Abbey and the evidence against him was circumstantial at best. He sighed and looked at Colby as he walked in. Colby had a report from LAPD. Dr. Abbey was dead.

Don went to the crime scene with his team as soon as they got there to look. It appeared to be a suicide. Abbey was seated on his couch with the gun in his hand at his side. The close range gunshot to his head and the rest were all marks of suicide, but Don knew better than to call it before the ME report came back.

The ME did not have a backlog and got to the body right away. He called Don with his findings and Don and David went down to talk to him. The ME had found no traces of blood or residue from the gun on Abbey's hands. That meant that the man was killed and now Don had two bodies on his hands.

The ME also told them he was running fingerprints from the room and to check back later.

Don called his wife and discovered that Espa had taught her morning class and then taken Lupe to go horseback riding on Loki and to see Porsche before they went belly dancing with Susanne and her girls. Zephyr was with her grandfather and was cranky, but it was nothing Alan had not dealt with before.

Later that afternoon, Don had suspect. Jesse Royce had been at the house and in the same room. Why the hell had the grad student been there?

NUMB3RS

Don and Colby went to the school and found Jesse Royce talking to Alexander Breton. Don rolled his eyes and sighed as he approached.

"What?" Colby asked.

"That professor likes my wife a little beyond professionalism." Don said as he walked forward. "Jesse Royce you are under arrest of the murders of Dr. Hansen and Dr. Abbey. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

"I have nothing to say." Jesse said as Colby cuffed him.

"That is a first." Colby said. "Come on."

Alex stepped forward. "You are really something. You take Esperanza away and question her while she needs medical attention and you are taking an A+ student away with just as much cause…"

Don turned to look at the man. "You know. Out of respect for Espa I will not punch you like you deserve here." He said. "I am doing my job and the evidence lead me here." He took a step forward. "As for Esperanza…I took her to the medical center for treatment and then sent her home to relax with our baby."

"Our baby?" Alex looked at him. "Esperanza has a child?"

"Yes, we do." Don said. "She is almost two." He smiled at the man. "And her full name is Dr. Esperanza Urriolabetia-Eppes." He eyed the man. "Do you understand now?"

"But she…"

"She is my wife and I suggest you stop leering at her when you see her unless you want me to intervene." Don said and turned away to follow Colby leaving the young professor bemused and not quite computing fully what Don had just told him. Esperanza was married with a child…

NUMB3RS

In interrogation Jesse Royce admitted and was very proud of the fact he had killed the two professors. He believed he had done right because there should be no debate on the matter. Evolution was the only way to look at the world.

He had killed Hansen because he felt the man betrayed the ideal by debating with the enemy and then he killed Abbey because he was the enemy. He had meant to do it at the lecture hall, but panic ensued and he could not get off a shot at Abbey.

All Don and Colby could do was shake their heads and allow the AUSA to put a needle in the kid's arm.

NUMB3RS

Espa stood with Lupe next to the small grouping of flowers that had been laid for the two professors who had died for a debate. She laid down two flower bouquets and sighed. "They did not deserve to die like that." She said.

Lupe looked at her sister. "No." She agreed. "I still do not see why they both couldn't be right."

Espa nodded. "I do not agree fully with either one, but your thought makes much more sense Lupe." She smiled and looked at her sister. "You have really grown up since I saw you last."

"Getting shot at does that to you." Lupe said and looked at her sister. "Don has helped me work through that, but you look at life a lot different. You learn to appreciate small things. I also do not understand why two men in a debate had to die…"

"Neither do I Munchkin. Neither do I." Espa said as they turned to go join the Eppes boys for dinner.

NUMB3RS

Zephyr had stayed with the neighbors as the rest of the Eppes family went out to a nice restaurant to eat. Alan agreed to play for Lupe, but everyone else was on their own.

They walked out and Alan smiled at his sons. "Another crime solved using math and FBI know how?"

"Something like that." Don nodded as he chewed on a toothpick. He smiled as he wrapped his arm about Lupe who stood beside him watching the family much like her sister was.

"Well the bill was one hundred fifty-five. Split five ways is thirty-on bucks a person. I have sixty two of it." Alan said

Charlie reached into his wallet and paid his father with cash.

Don pulled out his wallet. "I need to hit up an ATM unless my beloved wife has some cash on her."

"No." She smiled. "ATM it is."

"Oh that is such a scam. Why am I always made to play the bill?" Alan asked.

"I have no idea. What is with your son?" Charlie asked

"Since you bring strange women home." Espa said.

Alan looked at her and Don coughed a laugh. Charlie looked up at them confused. Lupe eyed him and shrugged as well.

"Let's make a deal Dad. I will buy you dinner the next two times if you allow me to find you a date." Espa said.

"That's fair." Alan nodded.

"Good."

"Come one let's go pay off dad before he starts telling me what a bad son I am." Don said patting his wife's back as he started to walk off down the street. Lupe smiled and took Charlie and Alan's hands and followed after. Just another night with the Family Eppes.


	34. Murder on the American Orient Express

**Murder on the American Orient Express**

10  
First Class Passengers

2  
Cars

12  
Accounts of what happened

1  
Body

Espa Eppes came home late from a belly dancing show at a local restaurant. She was tired and wanted to crash. She walked up and into the bathroom where she started to remove her make-up and some of her outfit.

She sighed. Lupe had had fun when she was here performing as well. Susanne's girls and Lupe had done amazing acts with flexibility that the women could only dream of having now. Espa was loathed to see her sister go back home at the end of her spring break, but she knew she would be back soon for the summer. Ysidro seemed to like having her back with a female influence in her life and Lupe adored Espa and her husband. Don was Lupe's confidant and knew more about how the girl ticked than Espa even knew, she would bet.

Don if he was home, no doubt, would have come home hours before she did. She had stopped at Susanne's house for a small beer before driving home. She felt more relaxed at home with the familiar setting of her home.

She let water run into the sink and then splashed it on her face. She sighed and just let the water drip from her face a moment. She reached for a towel and put her face into it and dabbed it dry.

Two large calloused hands wrapped themselves about her bare midriff. She smiled. "Hello Don." She said softly. She had not heard him enter, but he must have heard her. She could feel his shirt and knew he was still fully dressed. He must have been drinking a beer and relaxing in their bedroom, perhaps reading, until she came home.

"Hello my beautiful dancer." He said bending his tall frame down to kiss her neck and shoulders. She looked at the mirror as his lips pressed her flesh causing her to sigh gently in pleasure. She leaned into him as his hands went to her hips, gently caressing as he lifted his head and looked at her in the mirror. His chin rested on her shoulder as he gently caressed moved a hand up to caress her hair.

"Good day today?" She asked stifling a yawn.

"Yes. You on the other hand look exhausted." He said. He wrapped an arm about her back and the other wrapped under her knees. He lifted her up into his arms and carried her into their bedroom. He was expecting protest, but she instead relaxed and buried her nose against his shirt and closed her eyes.

He softly kicked the door closed behind him and then laid her down on their bed almost reverently. She looked up at him as he began to remove her clothing gently. "One would think you a maidservant." She smiled.

He smiled and kissed the top of her bare foot. "Indeed." He smiled at her and reached behind her and undid the top to her outfit leaving her bare to his gaze. He ran his tongue over his lips in appreciation.

"You look like a wolf eyeing a lamb." She commented as he leaned over her to kiss her.

"Perhaps. Perhaps it is just a husband wanting his wife." He said and smiled as he kissed her deeply. Her hand moved up into his hair as they often did when he kissed her. His hands started to remove his own clothing. She yielded to his advance and helped him squirm out of his clothes as he kept his mouth to hers.

NUMB3RS

Morning came to the Don and Espa Eppes. He had spent much of the night using her breast as a pillow and her body as a body pillow. Rarely did he fall asleep mostly on his wife, but she had been content to let him sleep so. It gave them both warmth and a deep feeling of closeness.

Don's phone rang and he reached over her to get it knocking some papers to the floor. "Eppes." He said looking at his watch as he normally did first thing in the morning. "Yeah…okay…all right…I will be there." He hung up and laid his head back. "So apparently the AOE is in town."

"The what?" She asked her eyes shut.

"The American Orient Express." He said. "And someone died on it…" He sighed and shifted reaching to pick up the papers he had knocked over. He sat up as Espa rolled away from him and curled into a sleepy ball. He blinked and looked at the papers. They were all about adopting children from around the world. Europe, China, Korea, and Africa all had babies to be adopted. "Espa?" He asked shifting. He gently shook her. "Espa…what are these?" He asked waving them before her face.

She opened her eyes and looked at them. "Oh…adoption prospective papers. I was going to talk to you later…" She said yawning and she tried to roll back, but Don prevented it. He eyed her as she looked at him annoyed. "What?" He eyed her a moment. "You could have told me you were thinking about it." He said setting the papers down and looking at her sternly. "We have a baby."

"She is two Don. I want another baby and we have not been able to get pregnant. Despite trying." She said eyeing him. "Now can I go back to sleep."

"You never told me you wanted another baby. So quickly…" He looked toward the cradle where Zephyr slept and then his eyes looked down where Gretchen lay with her paws in the air near the foot of the bed. "I mean, I would love more children, but…" He looked about. "We don't have room here and…" He sighed. "I really need to get to work. We can discuss this later, all right." He said.

"Yeah." She nodded sleepily.

He bent and kissed her. "I love you." He said. "We will talk about this when I get off." He said still stunned she had kept that from him. He sighed and dressed as he watched her fall back asleep. He was not totally sure she had been awake enough to know he had spoken to her about it. He would bring it up at lunch if she called and joined him.

With a last gentle kissed to his daughter and Espa he walked out to start his day.

NUMB3RS

David met Don outside the train parked at Union Station. The opulent cruise ship on the rails was full of people on vacation. However, the main focus of the FBI investigation was going to be the people to either side of the murdered man.

The murdered man was named Sieh, Gregory Sieh. Don walked into his cabin where he lay in his bed with the covers drawn up to his chin. The man's eyes were open to the world. Don pulled on his gloves and drew back the sheet revealing several stab wounds on his abdomen and chest.

Don looked at the man and saw his pupils were dilated. Drugged? Too drugged to stop the attack? He eyed the bottle next to the bed. There was a half burned note under it. Where had all this played out before? It was oddly familiar.

Just on memory alone, Don reached under the pillow and fished out a small pistol. So the man had been armed, but too drugged to cry out or fight off his attacker.

Don frowned at David who held open a bag after he smelled it. It had not been fired. He sighed and looked at David. So they had a victim of murder on a train. Don looked back and saw the Dutch man in charge of the car standing there.

Don asked for his name, which was given as Hans Hellmann. He explained that the American Orient Express had changed its name to The GrandLuxe Rail Journeys. The man seemed disturbed by the scene before him and Don let him go out into the hall. He asked the route. They had just come from Chicago and this was to be the last day on the train.

Don had David go round up the first class passengers so he could talk to them. Don walked into the dining car and looked at the list. There was a Russian diplomat and his wife who would be a problem. They had diplomatic immunity. The others included a Rockfeller heir, two women from Canada, a car salesman, a former butler from England, a doctor, a German, and a Norwegian.

Don looked about the car at the people and sighed. It was going to be a long afternoon.

NUMB3RS

Espa was busy making a grocery list as her daughter sat beside her in her chair. Espa looked at her and then tapped the table to get her attention. The big brown eyes under the mop of carefully placed curls looked up at her mother. There was so much of Don and Charlie in her gaze it made Espa smile.

What would you like for lunch tomorrow? Espa signed.

The girl cocked her head and then signed. Peanut Butter and honey. 

"With bread?" Espa asked playfully her hands not moving.

Yes, momma. Came the little hands moving in response.

"Why can't you talk to me?"

I am talking. The two year old answer boldly her eyes watching her mother.

"So you are." Espa sighed. She looked over. Zephyr was coloring a page and she was staying in the lines. Her baby girl returned to coloring finding the talk boring. Espa just shook her head.

NUMB3RS

Don returned at eight in the evening. "Hello?" He called. The first person that came to him was Zephyr who had been on the couch watching Thomas the Tank Engine. He smiled watching her climb down and come to him at a run. He scooped her up and she sat on his arm hugging him about his neck. "Isn't it time for you to go to bed?" He asked her kissing her hair.

Wanted Daddy. The little hands told him. Daddy read story. 

He chuckled and kissed her forehead. The two year old refused to go to bed until he had come home. He was glad he had not come home any later. She was dressed in her princess PJs that Alan had gotten for her.

"Ah…I see the little hellion found you." Espa said coming up as she dried her hands on a towel from doing dishes.

Don smiled and kissed his wife of two years gently. "Yes, she did. I will be down in a few minutes." He said. He carried Zephyr upstairs. He gently helped her brush her teeth with her Little Bear training toothpaste and then put her to bed in her child's bed. Her crib converted into a bed and they had done that a week ago. Zephyr snuggled down and listened softly as her father read her a few pages from the _Hobbit._

Don turned out the light above her bed and turned on the one at his beside table. Zephyr was already softly snoring. He walked out of the room and put a hand through his hair as he smacked his gum absently.

He came down stairs and sighed as he removed his jacket. He was tired and wanted to relax. He plopped into a chair and rolled his head back as he rubbed his neck. Two cool hands reached and began to rub for him. He smiled and looked up at his wife. "Nice shirt." He said looking up at the long sleeve shirt his wife was wearing that made her perfectly full breasts even more so.

She swatted his shoulder playfully. "Nice to see where your head is." She smiled and bent down and kissed his mouth upside down. He smiled and nuzzled her neck before she stood up.

She stood next to him and leaned against the chair. "How was your day? You look exhausted."

"I am not as tired as I look apparently." He said.

"Liar." She said. He reached up and pulled her into his lap and kissed her.

"This case is unreal. I have a bunch of first class passengers who are all remembering the same night in ten different ways." He sighed. "And I can not interview the Russians because they have immunity and are using it."

"Does it feel like Déjà vu to you?" She asked.

"How so?" He looked at her his hand in her hair.

"You have seen Murder on the Orient Express right? About Daisy Armstrong…"

"You think this is about the slaying of a baby ten years ago and all the passengers are in on it?"

"Well their stories do not match." She smiled. "As a historian you look for commonality and that is truth and you look to see what else could be to decide what happened."

"Like police work." He nodded. "I was hoping Charlie could help too."

"He is more likely to be help than I would be." She smiled. "I am a bookworm sometimes, but his equations always help you."

He nodded. "Well, I was not saying your view isn't valid."

"I know." She pressed a quick kiss to his mouth. "He is in the garage if you want him." She said rising.

He caught her hand and looked at her. "Wait…we need to talk about this adoption thing." He looked up at her. "Do you really want to adopt a baby?"

She handed him a folder from beside the table. "I have three babies I like."

"A South African, a Cambodian, and a Russian." He looked up at her as she sat on the table before him. "Interesting choices. I personally would like to try for one of our own."

"So you are a racist now?" She asked cocking her head.

"No…" He looked at her. "I mean, there are a ton of factors here." He sighed and sat forward. "I mean we would have to move out so we could have room for a growing family."

"Yes. I have been looking for that too."

He blew out a breath. "You are really serious…"

"Do you know what kind of hell orphanages are? They are hell on earth Don. My cousin lived in South Korea before my aunt adopted her. She was burned with cigarettes and had to care for an infant at age two. She is still so messed up from that she can not have a decent relationship with a man." She shook her head and wrapped her arms about herself.

"You can not save every child from that fate Espa." He said gently.

"I can help at least."

"I think this is about your kidnapping and you knowing a lot of girls are sold into that." He said.

She winced. She hated the fact the agent in him could read her so well. She sighed. "Don…" She turned and went to the decanter and poured to glasses. She brought his back after drinking a healthy swig of her own. He looked up at her.

"Hey, you are okay." He asked taking a sip. He looked at her. "Are you sure you want to adopt? I mean I would like to talk to you when I am more alive."

"Why? You might say no." She smiled and batted her eyes at him. He smirked at her and took another sip. She came over and kissed his mouth gently. "I will be upstairs." She said holding her glass. "Charlie is in the garage."

"I love you, honey."

"I know." She said.

NUMB3RS

Don walked in and talked to his brother to try and sort out the truth from the stories. Charlie set to work making an equation to help his brother.

Don satisfied that his brother was one board, went upstairs looking at pictures of the pictures of babies. The cute face of Juit Mliss Yung-Sin caught his eye. She was from Cambodia. Her name meant Rose flower. She was beautiful.

He went to his wife who was reading _Arab and Jew_ in bed. He smiled. She always looked so cute when she wore her reading glasses. It added a maturity to her pigtails. She wore her undergrad school's sweat pants and a loose tank top that showed her breasts.

He leaned against the door to watch her. He smiled and came to her and told her that he would love to adopt the baby from Cambodia and that she should try and set it up. She set her book down and welcomed him into her arms with a laugh of joy.

NUMB3RS

Don went to his office the next working. He looked at the crime scene photos as he stood the war room with his hands in his back pockets as he silently chewed on his gum.

Megan walked in. "Don, before 2000, the guy Sieh, did not exist. Passport, social security, bank records, all dead end there."

"So Sieh was an alias, but then, who is he?" Don asked.

"We are not sure about the victim, but the German we know as Maria Frei is really Captain Maria Kellerman, of the German Bundeswehr in the Luftwaffe." Colby said coming in. He held up her jacket and put her photo up in the war room where they stood.

They all looked at the woman in her uniform.

"Didn't the Germans get rid of that after World War Two?" Don asked looking at Colby.

"No. Luftwaffe is their Air Force, Don. She flew fighter planes for them before she was honorably discharged because of an accident at a base." Colby said.

"I see. So we have a woman under a false name who is former military and a man who does not exist before 2000. This is getting weirder and weirder." Don said looking at the crime scene shot of the victim.

NUMB3RS

Don looked at the two story apartment. Espa was looking at the kitchen. The apartment had everything they wanted and they would own it. It was the third and fourth floors. It was the third one they had looked at and it was a good price for all that was there.

Espa had had the adoption people come and talk to her and interview her, Charlie, and Alan about adopting baby Jiut. Don and his team were going to be interviewed within the next couple of days.

Espa came out beaming at her husband. "The kitchen is perfect and it has a breakfast nook. The dining room can be upstairs." She hugged him gently. "Oh it is great here." She said.

Don smiled and took her hand. "Can you be happy here and be a mother here?" He kissed her fingers gently and cocked his head. "It is perfect. The girls can have their own rooms and we can have the master bedroom. Have you seen it? The closet is huge."

He smiled at excited voice. He looked up at the real estate woman. He went and checked out the plumbing and then came back to where the women were standing. He shrugged. "It is only two miles from dad and Charlie." He looked at the woman. "I think we will take it." He smiled.

Espa laughed and ran to him and bounced into his arms. She wrapped her legs about his hips knocking him back against the wall. He grunted. "Hello." He said looking at her. She was looking directly in his eyes. He grinned at her as he kissed her mouth. "Welcome home Mrs. Eppes."

NUMB3RS

Charlie's equation proved that several people were lying about what had happened. His only conclusion was that there was more than one person in on Sieh's death and they had not had time to make their stories the same and were "winging it."

Don pulled in the former butler from England, the doctor, the German, and the Norwegian who Don found that were possibly lying.

The doctor and the German seemed to have something to hide. They were nervous and spoke in German as the doctor passed the holding cells. The butler was alibied by Hellermann, the Dutchman who was a steward for the first class passengers.

The Norwegian had been ill and also was alibied by the Dutchman, since Don was barring the train from leaving Union Station until the investigation was finished, the stewards had time to come in and talk to the FBI.

The German and the doctor were very quiet and did not answer many questions. Nor did they lawyer up, so Don finally locked them back up out of frustration.

The woman seemed very resistant to interrogation which made Don suspect she had had training as a pilot or that she had been captured somewhere before. Either way his methods were a cake walk.

The doctor was haughty and did not answer anything. He remained dead quiet. So, these were the two who would be questioned further and held until Don had evidence to release them or to put needles in their arms.

NUMB3RS

Don sat in Robert Hodges' office. "The victim appears to be Sergei Venetov, major player in the Russian mob in Germany. He was wanted there, but he skipped the country." Robert said. "They matched his fingerprints."

"You talked with the German Police?" Don asked leaning back in his chair.

"Yes." Robert nodded. "I let them know that their suspect was killed. They were a little relieved."

Don sighed. "I see."

"By the way. How is your wife Agent Eppes?"

"She and the baby are great." Don smiled. "Did Espa tell you that we are going to adopting a baby from Cambodia?"

"Really." Robert sat forward.

"Yeah." Don said. "I was hoping to have all the kids naturally, but can you really deny your wife when she really wants to do something like that. I mean, Espa has such a good heart and wants to share it…"

"She is a great woman isn't she? She was always generous. Even as a child." Robert sighed and shook his head. "She is a good wife for you. I can tell."

"Yes, so can I." Don smiled and nodded.

NUMB3RS

Don sat down looking up at the adoption lady. She had been talking to all his co-workers before he was interviewed. "I am Don Eppes, I work for the FBI, I have a wife and a daughter."

"You are living currently with your brother?" The lady asked.

"Yes. We are moving next month into a two story apartment near where Charlie and my father live."

"And how do you get a long with your daughter?"

"I love her more than my own life." Don sighed. "She is a good girl. I know that Juit will be very welcome in our family. We are going to call her Annie."

"You have already thought of a name. That is encouraging." The lady smiled. "I will start on your paperwork. Your wife has already paid the processing fee. We will be contacting you when we are getting ready to secure her and bring her home."

Don sighed. Espa had more funds than he lying around from her years of consulting. Much like Charlie did. He was thankful, but also a little resentful that his wife had to pay for the down payment and such. It was her money, not their money. The now earned their money. That money was from before when they had not been married.

She had explained that had been saved for this, a nest egg of sorts, but he still was not pleased to have her pay all of it. They would work it out soon enough.

Megan walked in. "So I heard you are moving out of Charlie's house."

"Yeah." Don looked up at her.

"And you are adopting a baby."

"That is Espa's idea. But the girl is adorable." Don pulled out the picture from his wallet to show Megan. "Since it is a hostile state, we are not going in to get her. The agency will be."

Megan looked at the photo. "She is adorable." She smiled. "Two little girls Don. Wow. How old is she?"

"They say less than six months." Don smiled as he looked at the pictures. "She will be here in a month or two we hope."

NUMB3RS

Don and his team finally found a connection with the German woman and the doctor had been lovers. They both worked with each other in Germany. The German police had an open warrant on them as suspects in two Russian mob hits.

Don sat looking at the doctor. The MO had changed they had stabbed a Russian major player in America who had been had been hiding under s false name. The German doctor had come in on a work visa under his real name before he was found to be connected to the murders in Germany. His lover followed him getting a false name.

They had been sent by another mob to kill the man they all knew as Sieh and disappear back into the background. Don now held them and was going to charge them with murder. He allowed the rest of the people and the train to go back to their lives.

NUMB3RS

Charlie was out in the garage working on his cognitive emergence work on the chalkboards. Espa and Don were inside starting to work on packing. Though he was not thrilled that they were going to be moving in the next month, they had a right to and with the new addition coming, they were right. There was not enough room there. Plus they were only two miles away. Also, they would be over a lot anyway as proved before when they had been in their own place before.

He was trying to follow an equation, but found his mind wondering to the dinner conversation about little Annie, the baby from Cambodia, that Don and Espa were going to be bringing home soon. The picture was adorable and he found himself loving his niece as much as his other one and he had not met her yet.

He looked down hearing a small cough near him and saw Zephyr looking up at him with her big brown eyes. Her mop of curls was so much like his own. He reached down and playfully pressed them back.

"Hello, honey." He smiled at her

Hello Uncle Charlie. Her little hands moved. What doing? 

"Honey, I can not understand you." He said gently. He knelt down before her. "What do you want?"

What you do? She signed. Then she pointed at the chalkboard.

He sighed raking a hand through his hair and took a piece of chalk and gave it to her. "Do you want to draw? You can draw right there or on the ground, sweetheart." He turned back to his work and suddenly jumped as his niece started to cry. She threw the chalk down, shattering it in many pieces. She stamped her foot and sat down crying hard.

Charlie gasped and dropped to his knees. "Sweetheart, what is it? Are you hurt?" He asked looking her over as she fused. Her little hands moved in jerky movements as she sobbed.

"What the hell is going on?" Came Don's voice as he walked into the garage. He walked in looking at his brother suspiciously as he dropped down next to his daughter. "Margot…honey…tell me what is wrong…tell daddy what is wrong sweetheart." He said and signed to her.

Zephyr hugged him and whimpered as he gently stroked her head to calm her. Don looked up at his brother. "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing man. She would not tell me and I do not know what her hand movements mean…" Charlie said raising his hands. "I thought she wanted to color."

Zephyr finally calmed down enough that her hands were not shaking with her sobs. She looked at her father and moved them. Want know what Uncle Charlie do. She signed and took a breath.

Don wiped her tears and smiled. "Oh honey. He is doing his work." He signed talking to her.

She pointed up at the symbols and moved her hand as she frowned. What mean? 

Don looked at his brother. "You really should learn to sign with her." He sighed. "She wanted to know what you were doing and what it meant."

Charlie looked at her. "Well, Zephyr, it is hard to explain…" She pouted and he took a breath as Don stood up holding his daughter to him. "Okay…sorry. This is about thoughts in the human brain and…"

"Charlie…she is two." Don said a bit of smirk on his face.

"It is my work Zephyr. At the university." Charlie said.

Don signed to her with his free hand. She looked at her father. Like Mommy? She sighed to Don.

"Yes, like mommy." Don nodded as he signed.

A knock came at the door. Espa stuck her head in and looked about as Zephyr curled up in Don's arms. "Don I sent you to get Charlie for dinner. It's ready."

"I know. We had a bit of an issue with Margot is all." Don smiled. "Come on bro. Dinner is calling us."

"You got it." Charlie said as he followed after his brother and sister-in-law. Zephyr was content for now resting against her father chest.


	35. Innocence Lost

**Innocence Lost**

514

Cambodian Children Adopted

40

Girls

200,000

Child Soldiers

2

Babies

Espa Eppes came onto stage to much applause with Susanne and several women with her. One of the girls started to play a Celtic pipe beginning the song and calling attention to them. Espa started to tap her bodhrán to get a rhythm. Espa began to sing.

Ecce mundi gaudium  
Ecce salus gentium  
Virgo parit filium  
Sine violentia 

The girls then answered her with the next two lines. And so the song went.

Ave virgo regia  
Dei plena gracia

Natus est de virgine  
Sine viri semine  
Qui mundat a crimine  
Rex qui regit omnia 

Ave virgo regia  
Dei plena gracia

Angelus pastoribus  
Natus est in gentibus  
Qui dat pacem omnibus  
Sua provedentia 

Ave virgo regia  
Dei plena gracia

Regestria premia  
Offerentis varia  
Stella ducit previa  
Ad salutis gaudia 

Ave virgo regia  
Dei plena gracia

Cumnul scira potuit  
De nato rex fremuit  
E tota gens tremuit  
Christi natalitia 

Ave virgo regia  
Dei plena gracia

Cum mori per gladios  
Rachel videt proprios  
Mesta plorat filios  
Nulla sont solati 

Ave virgo regia  
Dei plena gracia 

Then Espa joined in and they all sang together and clapped.

Ave virgo regia  
Dei plena gracia

Espa sighed bowed to the crowd before her as they clapped at the benefit for humanitarian efforts to try to stop the use of child soldiers in Africa. Most of Cal-Sci's faculty was there.

Charlie and Amita sat with Larry watching her from the crowd. Espa knew how to wow a crowd. Charlie had heard the song by the Mediǽval Bǽbes many times and every time had enjoyed it.

"Thank you Dr. Urriolabetia-Eppes for once again for giving us a beautiful song." Dr. Orman, the MC said taking the microphone again as Espa and her group left the stage except for Susanne who was holding her violin. "Ladies and Gentleman please join Susanne Bosman on the violin and Dr. Esperanza Urriolabetia-Eppes on the piano as they play Butterfly for us as we watch the PowerPoint presentation by UNICEF."

For those who donated to the cause, the benefit had a dinner of spaghetti and Espa again took the stage. People cheered and she smiled. She waved at Charlie before she started to sing May it Be, from Lord of the Rings by Enya.

May it be  
An evening star  
Shines down  
Upon you

May it be  
When darkness falls  
Your heart  
Will be true

You walk a lonely road  
Oh how far you are from home

[quenya: darkness has come  
Believe and you  
Will find your way

[quenya: darkness has fallen  
A promise lives  
Within you now

May it be  
The shadows call  
Will fly away

May it be  
You journey on  
To light the day

When the night is overcome  
You may rise  
To find the sun

[quenya: darkness has come  
Believe and you  
Will find your way

[quenya: darkness has fallen  
A promise lives  
Within you now

A promise lives  
Within you now...

"I never realized how well Espa could sing. Did you know Charles?" Larry asked his friend.

"Yeah, I knew." Charlie smiled. "Isn't she great?"

They clapped together.

NUMB3RS

Don was in the office late in the afternoon when the team got a call to go out and invesigate a car accident. The woman was driving a car from Utah. Don looked at the woman who had been pronounced DOA as the fire department tried to get her out. He shuttered thinking how close Espa had been to that.

They removed the body as he looked about. The car that had hit her was missing so it was a hit and run. The FBI had been called in because of the Utah driver. The woman was from Logan, Utah according to her ID in her wallet. Her name was Misty Jorgenson.

Don looked at the car and noticed a carseat in the back. He asked if the parmedics had removed the child. Upon finding out they had not, he noticed that there was cloth caught in the strap. Someone had yanked the baby out in a hurry.

A hit and run murder with the kidnapping of a baby. It was going to be a long night.

NUMB3RS

Espa was sitting in the new apartment at sunset. She was working on unpacking. All the major furniture was all ready in place thanks to a moving company and David, Colby, and Don. Now Espa was putting in finishing touches.

Espa was in Annie's room. She had wall papered the walls with Noah's Ark and painted the ceiling a light blue. The crib had several stuffed animals in it just waiting for the new arrival to come. Once she was out of quarentine, the Eppes' could pick her up.

Zephyr came in and looked at her mother. For sister? She signed.

Yes. Espa nodded as she folded some of Zephyr's older clothes into the drawers.

Mine. Zephyr pointed at the clothes.

They are for sister now. Zephyr get new. Espa signed to her.

Zephyr clapped her hands and then climbed onto the Ottoman and looked at the room. Sister like? 

Do you? Espa cocked her head

Like Stuffies. Zephyr signed looking up.

I know. Espa smiled. "Daddy will want dinner. He is working late today." She said and picked her two year old up against her hip. She looked around the apartment and then walked out locking the door and walking down the three flights of stairs. Espa sneezed. She hated this time of year. She was allergic to all sorts of things. Dirt mostly and AC also made her nose run sometimes.

She put Zephyr into her car seat and then drove to get Italian for her husband. Perhaps they would be lucky and he could be able to eat with them. He had called to tell her not to expect him home until later. Much later.

NUMB3RS

Espa walked into the bullpen with Zephyr holding her hand as she carried the diaper bag and dinner. Colby saw her first and jumped up to help her. "Hey Espa. Here." He said talking the diaper bag before it fell and hit Zephyr in the head.

She smiled at him. "Thanks Colby." She said.

"Anytime." He dipped his head. "Hey monster." He said as he bent down and scooped Zephyr up and then tossed her into the air. She laughed and beamed as he caught her and held then threw her up again with a squeal of joy from the small two year old.

Espa just stood and watched. Uncle Colby had become fun when he had done that for the first time. Don and Megan walked in followed by David. Zephyr was laughing as Colby held her up about her middle from him. She kicked and laughed rucously as she reached for his tie.

Don came to his wife and gently touched her shoulder. "Hey." He greeted. "I see Colby is buzzing Zephyr up for you."

"Yeah, but she will get tired after." Espa said before turning her face up for his soft kiss.

He looked at the bag and opened it. "Smells good." He said and pouted as she put the bag on her lap. He reached for it again.

Espa playfully slapped his hands away. "I got Manicotti for Megan." She said reaching in and pulling out the container marked that. "Eggplant parmesean for Colby, Speghetti and meatballs for David…" She said passing out the food. "Alfredo for Zephyr, Penne Gorganzola for me, and lastly Tucan steak medium-rare for my husband."

Megan reached out for Zephyr who came to her as Megan signed to her and asked how she was. Zephyr answered hungry, which made Don and Espa laugh.

They all thanked her and headed to the war room to eat like a bunch of starved people. Zephyr joined them eating her cut up noddles with her spoon as she sat on Megan's lap.

Don and Espa sat beside each other eating their food. Espa looked up at the crime scene photos. Don had quickly rotated the ones of the grusome killed woman out, but the car seat and the blood remained.

"What is that about?" Espa asked as she sipped the tea Don had made for her. She had not wanted coffee for fear it would keep her up. "Someone from Utah died in LA?"

"Hit and run." Don said with a sigh. "We think the person took the baby."

"That is terrible." Espa said. "Was she Mormon?"

"Yeah. And I do not know if she was Mormon. Why does that matter?" Megan said. "A woman desperate for a baby maybe."

"Do you think the baby is in danger?" Espa asked. "I am just curious. I grew up in the Mormon belt remember. A lot of people from Utah are Mormon."

"If it is with a woman who wants a baby, no." Megan said. "I guess we could find out for you…"

"I would like that." Espa said.

"Aren't they polygmists?" David asked.

"Polygamy exists there, yeah." Espa nodded. "But not all Mormons are that. In fact the church outlawed it when they wanted to become a state. And you really can't be Mormon as a polygamist."

"I see…" David said.

"Speaking of which…" Don said changing the supject when he noticed his daughter's big eyes looking at them as she listened. The little mouse was like her mother and heard everything. "Do we know how long it will be before Annie is released?"

"The doctors are treating the lice and a burn that she got that had festered from lack of treatment. Other than that she should be with us within the week." Espa smiled at her husband. He smiled and patted her thigh gently.

"That's great." David said. "What are you calling her again?"

"Annie." Espa smiled. "Annie Katherine Eppes."

"Have you seen her picture?" Megan asked. "Oh my God, she is adorable."

Espa passed the picture to Colby and David. They smiled at the picture. "So little." Colby said. "Like you were." He grinned and reached to tickle the small moccosined foot that was closest to him.

Espa got a phone call and rose to her feet. She walked out of the room. Don looked back at her. Zephyr moved to get down, but Megan distracted her with a chocolate mint, which she gave her half.

Espa walked back in and shook her head.

"What is it?" Don asked frowning.

"Our baby isn't a baby." She reached for the picture. "This was taken a month ago." She swallowed. "How could anyone…"

"What Espa?" Don gently touched her arm. "Sweetheart?"

"Don, her x-rays show she is almost three." She said looking at the picture with tears in her eyes. "She was so starved that she looks like she is six months old."

Don looked at her disgusted for a moment. "Oh my God." He said looking at the others. He reached up and gently pulled his wife to his lap. "Honey, we are giving her a better life. She will thrive here. She will be fine. We will celebrate arrival days like your cousin." He smiled. "We will have a happy girl." He gently touched her cheek. "Honey?"

"You're right." She nodded looking at his handsome face. "She will have a better life. No more life in hell for her."

NUMB3RS

After Zephyr and Espa had left for the night, Don and the team started to piece together who Misty Jorgenson was and where the baby may have gone.

Colby found out that she was from Salt Lake City, Utah, Mormon, and had gone up until the semester started to BYU-Provo. She was a top student in lingistics and had had no run ins with the law. She had transferred and aquired an apartment in LA less than a week ago in order to go to LA-U.

Colby and Megan went to her apartment and found her roommate Chelsea Gordon. The room was sparse and the to did not see much of each other since Chelsea worked into the night. Her scriptures were by her bed and opened to Alma.

David found out she had a temple recommend and that showed she was a devoted Mormon and seemed to not have a current boyfriend.

Don called Espa and asked Espa what he should do. She suggested calling the local LA-U bishop to ask him if he knew anything about her. Don thought that was a great idea and put a phone call into the office of the LA LDS office.

NUMB3RS

"Thank you for coming in." Don said to the man before him as he dropped into a seat in the interrogation room. "I am Agent Don Eppes." He nodded back to Megan behind him. "Agent Megan Reeves."

"I am sorry to hear about Misty." The man said. "Bishop Randall Spitzelhofner." The man said offering his hand to Don and Megan.

"Do you have any idea why someone would hit her car here and then run?" Don asked.

"No." The bishop said.

"Did she have a baby sister? Maybe a friend's baby?" Megan asked.

"I do not know. She did not have many friends here yet." He sat forward. "She had a baby with her?"

"Yes." Don said.

"I donot know what she would have one. She is unmarried. Having a baby with her is very odd…" The bishop said.

"How so?" Don asked. "Girls have babies without anyone knowing all the time."

"Not Mormon girls." The bishop said. "They would be frowned upon. If they do such a thing, Agent Eppes, she is betraying not only her family, but her culture."

"So an honor killing?" Don asked sitting forward.

"Don't be ridiculus Agent, we are not in Saudi Arabia. We do not kill for indiscrecions." The bishop smiled.

Don looked at Megan. "Women have been killed for less." He said.

NUMB3RS

Espa called her husband as she sat in the room with Zephyr and Alan. There were toys lying all over. Espa sat near to the little girl who was sitting holding her dollie to her in the middle of the floor. She had a binky in her lips and was watching Espa and Alan with her brown eyes.

Zephyr had walked over and started to play with the toys. Alan watched his grandaughter and then he lifted a small toy to the girl they had called Annie. Juit, by birth looked up at him a moment. He smiled gently and she reached out a small hand and took it.

"My God Espa." Alan said softly. "She is tiny. Zephyr is not huge, but she makes Annie look like a dwarf."

Annie scooted on her bottom closer to Espa and Alan as Zephyr sat next to them. Alan started to play with Zephyr. Espa watched. Little Annie reached to play as well. "Hello Annie. I'm grandpa whale…" He said softly in a sing-song voice as he played with a stuffed Shamu.

Annie and Zephyr smiled as the whale kissed each in turn and swam about.

The doctor watched and smiled. "That is the most interaction she has done in a week." He said. "It will be a long road Dr. Eppes, but I am sure you will do fine."

"When can we take her home?" Espa asked.

"Now if you wish. She has passed the quaretine." The doctor smiled.

Alan nodded. "I would like that. Zephyr can show her the ropes at home." He gently reached for Annie and picked her up. He carried her as Espa picked up Zephyr.

"She will need to be in a six month car seat since she is so small Dr. Eppes." The doctor said walking with them. Espa put Zephyr in her car seat and then climbed in between them and helped Alan put Annie in the rear facing carseat Zephyr had out grown. "I see you have prepared for that." He smiled and checked it over after Alan had secured Annie and then shut the door.

Annie watched and then cringed looking at Espa. Espa smiled gently and offered her a bottle with some diluted juice in it. Zephyr too hers and Espa removed Annie's binky soft and pushed the bottle to her lips. The tiny hands reached up and cupped the bottle and started to suck desperately.

Alan smiled and got into the car. It was raining out and he moved the windshield blades causing Annie to jump. Then the car started and they were on their way. Annie forgot about her bottle and looked out about her as she stared out the window. Espa leaned down and kissed her forehead softly.

She then pulled out her cell phone. "Hello Donnie." She said softly. Her voice was rough with emotion.

"Are you all right?" Don asked hearing it as he sat at his desk in the bullpen.

"Fine…I have someone here who I want you to meet." She said softly.

"Annie? She's home?" Don asked. Megan, was sitting by him as was Charlie, beamed at Don. "What is she like?" He asked sitting back.

"Small, shy…nervous…" Espa said. "We are bringing her home now." Espa smiled. "Oh and Zephyr is saying 'Hi Daddy'." Espa said seeing the signing next to her.

"Hello sweetheart." Don said and Espa signed making Zephyr smile. "How is Zephyr taking her?"

"I am not sure she realizes she is coming home to stay yet." Espa said. "Annie is watching the buildings."

"I am right in the middle of something, but I should be home within a couple hours." Don said. "Give her my love until then."

Espa nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too." Don said and clapped his phone shut. He looked at Charlie and Megan. "She is home." He beamed.

NUMB3RS

Espa had given up changing little Annie. She had thrown up most of what she had eaten today and Espa had the laudry to clean. Annie was sitting now on the living room floor sucking her binky with Gretchen licking her. Espa had bathed her once and Alan twice and she now had just a diaper on.

Zephyr was playing with her kitchen set as Annie sat and watched everyone around her. She did not seem to mine Gretchen licking her until she decided to lick her face at which point she pushed the small dog away. Gretchen then would start again somewhere on her legs.

Espa sat near her and Alan did as well watching the baby get used to her surroundings. She had already said 'Grandpa's house' and 'mommy' and 'grandpa', but they were not sure if she understood who and what they were yet.

Alan smiled. "Gretchen…" He said gently touching Gretchen's head.

"…retchen…" Annie said around her binky and then she sucked it more looking at him. She lifted her hand and pointed at the table next to her.

"Table." Alan said.

"Dayble." She said. She pointed again at the chair.

"Chair." He said.

"Sh-air."

"Good Annie." He smiled.

The front door opened and Don walked in removing his sun glasses followed by Charlie carrying a great big teddybear that was pale pink with purple ears and a purple nose and that was also about three and a half feet tall. Gretchen had moved to investigate. When she saw it was just the two brothers, she went into the kitchen to get a drink.

"Hey." Don smiled. His eyes went downward as Zephyr came to him. She hugged his legs and smiled at him. He reached down and patted her signing a greeting before looking up at his wife, father, and the new arrival. "So that is my new baby girl." He smiled down at her.

Espa chuckled a little and stayed where she was as her husband pulled off his suit jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and he removed the gum from his mouth all before he squatted down a few feet away from Annie who was looking up him somewhere between terrified and horrified.

He remained motionless a moment and then realized her gaze was not on his eyes, but at his side. He looked down and saw his duty weapon. He looked back. Sure enough. That was what scared her. He stood up and removed it setting it on the table out of her vision before dropping down again. This time she looked up at him as she sucked on her binky nervously.

"Hi, sweetheart. I'm you're daddy." He said a little awkwardly. He held out his hand and when she jumped back from his caress he held it out in a non-threatening gesture like he would for a rape victim or a terrified witness to a crime. He sat down and gentle held out his hand inviting her to touch him if she wished as he leaned back against the couch.

She looked at Alan who nodded softly. She reached a tiny hand out and touched his fingers. He smiled at her gently. "Hello." He said softly.

"…ello." She repeated looking at his index finger that was larger than her whole hand in length. She held something to her with her other arm, but she touched his finger feeling the callouses. He did not move letting her learn.

He looked at Alan. "She talks?" He asked and smiled. "Wow…" He gently moved his hand over hers and caught her attention. "Daddy." He said pointing to himself.

"Daddy…" Annie said around her binky looking at him. She pointed at him. "Daddy…" She said and then flashed a smile.

Don thought his heart would melt at the simple sign that she had accepted him.

Charlie set the huge bear down. Zephyr squealed in delight and went to it and dropped onto it. Espa smiled. It looked like the bear was hugging her. Annie looked at it and then Charlie as he sat down. She scooted a little to Don and touched his leg since he was impeding her going to the teddy. He reached down and deftly lifted her over startling her. Once safely back on the ground she looked at him a moment. He smiled gently and held out his arms to show he was going to do nothing more.

Charlie leaned down. "You can play too. See like Zephyr." He said patting the teddy's leg.

Annie sat in her diaper. She reached to touch the teddy and then froze. She looked down and then whimpered a little. She looked at Don and lifted her arm and ducked under it and curled up making herself as small as possible as she scooted away from them.

Don looked at her curiously. "Annie? Sweetheart?" He asked. He moved and moved on his hands and knees towards her as she scooted into the wall. She yelped and then folded herself as if trying to hide. He looked at Allan and Espa who shrugged.

Alan came forward. He was just as curious as Don and Charlie were. Don tenderly touched her head and felt her shivering. He looked at the floor and saw it was wet. She had wet her diaper so much it could not handle it.

He tenderly reached and picked her up from her hiding spot and walked upstairs carrying her about her middle and into the bathroom where he knew there would be wipes and diapers. He gently set her on the rug and laid her back. Though not crying or sobbing, Annie was stiff with fear. He could see it in her eyes.

"Annie…you just wet your diaper sweetheart…it's okay. Daddy will fix it." He said gently.

She babbled something, which he persummed was Cambodian as he started to pull off the diaper. She cried out then and cowered to the side. It was then he saw the scars on her back from countless beatings. Cigarette burns and worse, what looked like a crop of whip that had torn into her flesh.

"Oh my God." He heard Charlie's voice behind him. "Don…she was…she was…"

"I can see she was beaten Charlie…"

"Is she hurt?" Charlie asked looking at his new niece with her hand over her face to try and block what she thought were blows coming.

Don shook his head. "Scared out of her mind." He gently pulled the hand down. "Annie." He said softly. "Annie…sweetheart…Daddy won't hurt you…neither will Uncle Charlie…"

"Daddy…Sh-arlie…" She whimpered.

He could see one tear in her eye and she obviously felt it and wiped it away scratching her face in the process as she muttered in her language what sounded like apolgies. He gently moved the tiny legs and pulled the spoiled diaper away. "She must have been holding it for hours…" Don muttered. He took a wipe that Charlie offered him and then as he moved to clean her froze. On the smooth baby skin labia of his new daughter were more scars and worse…holes. He felt icewater in his veins. Cigarette burns, whip marks, holes from God knew what, and bruising. Deep old and newer bruising. He just stared as his adopted daughter quivered under his gaze. Christ God, was that what she had been afraid of? When she could not hold it they had done that?

"Oh, my, Don…she…" Charlie could not finish.

Don swallowed and shut his eye fighting his own tears. He leaned over her and kissed her cheek softly and held her gently a moment. "Oh Annie…I'm so sorry." He whispered to her as he stroked her hair. "Oh my poor girl…" He said. He sat up and felt a tear run down his cheek. He looked down. It had dripped onto his daughter's cheek. She turned and looked up at the adult male face hovering close to her own. She bite her lip and reached up with her tiny hand and touching his wet cheek. He smiled a little. "It's okay…you are better now baby." He whispered, his voice choking.

She looked up at Charlie behind his brother who was also on the verge of tears. She looked between them not understanding.

Don took a breath and wiped his eyes and then put a clean diaper on her. She let him watching his face intently. It was evident she had no idea what to make of an adult man crying and crying for her…

"Annie good?" She asked around her binky.

Don choked again and nodded. "Yes, Annie very good." He said and cupped a hand under her head and held her to his chest softly as he kissed her hair. "Annie my good girl…" He whispered. "No one is going to hurt you. Not anymore." He said firmly. "If I could find the men who…"

"Don…she will overcome it right?" Charlie asked his elder brother. "She will be a normal happy kid, like she deserves…"

"She is going to have whatever she wants." Don said as he held her. He felt her take a breath and snuggle against him a little. Don knew that was a milestone. He had gained some trust with her. He gently kissed her hair and stood up cradling her neck and back as he would an infant. He could feel the lunp of the dirty ragdoll she held, but ignored that for now.

He nodded to his brother who went in and threw away the diaper and washed his hands before joining the others downstairs.

NUMB3RS

Morning had David walking briskly through the cool cooridor that housed the FBI shooting range in the basement of the building. He heard a gun firing and pulled on his earcovers.

He walked to where Don was holding his duty weapon and firing at a target. He nodded. His boss was a great marksman. He sighed. "What brings you here at seven am on a Saturday?" He asked Don as he started to reload the weapon.

"My daughter…" Don said snapping the magazine into place.

"What is wrong with Zephyr?" David asked lifting his ear protection away to hear better. He noticed he could see his breath in the cool room.

"Nothing is wrong with her. It's Annie." Don swallowed and removed his ear protection as well as he clicked the safety onto his duty weapon and sighed leaning against the platform before him.

David looked at him. "What about her? She is so cute from the picture. Is she that cute?"

"Cute, tiny, and terrified. David, how can someone beat a child that small?" Don asked him.

David shrugged. "What do you mean? What kind of monster beats a baby?"

He sighed and shook his head. "I mean…she wet her diaper…she had been holding it in for, like, hours, and finally went in the diaper. No one would be upset by that, but she was so afraid…and then the scars. They put something through the skin of her…" Don could not finsh that thought. "She is so helpless…" He shook his head. "Besides, I needed some practice anyway." He rubbed a hand over his face. "Where are we with Misty Jorgenson?" He asked not wanting to talk about that subject anymore for now. Maybe later with Megan.

"She just had thirty thousand put into her bank account."

"Federal Loans?" Don asked as he put his duty weapon in his holster.

"No…we are not sure where they are from. Appears to be a cashed cashier's check." David said. "The bank is running it down."

"All right." Don nodded and walked with him. He sighed. "Well we can follow the money. Then I can call Espa and see how Annie is doing."

NUMB3RS

Don sighed and looked down at the paper before him. Misty had gotten money from Bishop Spitzelhofner. The man was alibied for the wreck, but the fact remained he had paid her money for something.

Don sent David and Colby to look into it. He called Espa and found out she was at the doctor with Annie to see why the small girl was throwing up. Don was concerned. He asked if she needed backup. She just said it was fine.

David came back finding out that the Bishop said the money was from the church to help pay for her tuition.

Megan came in with an Amber Alert for a baby that had been taken from St. George, Utah.

Don was puzzled by that new turn in events. The baby was suspected to have been taken from the family home by a neighbor, a young twenty something blonde woman who always wanted to see and hold the baby.

NUMB3RS

Don sighed. He came to the Eppes family home. It was one of the last nights they would spend in the house before the fully moved into their flat only a couple miles away. He sighed and shut the door holding a six pack of beer.

He looked down and saw Charlie sitting near Annie. Annie was throwing a ball with her hand that was not holding her dollie. She looked up at Don. Don removed his gun, handcuffs, keys, and his jacket. He smiled and walked over to them.

"Daddy." Annie said around her binky. He smiled and touched her little head. He lifted her into his arms. He gently held her as she touched his face.

"Hi sweetheart."

"Annie good. Charlie good." The little mouth said as she took out her binky.

Charlie smiled at his brother. "I think she thinks good is her last name. I keep telling her it is Eppes."

"There is time to learn all that." Don said as he cradled the baby gently. He stood up and walked into the kitchen were Espa was cooking something on the stove as Alan cut up the brisket. "Ahh…must be Friday." He grinned and kissed Espa as he looked down at Zephyr who was playing with pots at their feet.

Annie lifted a hand and pointed. Don followed her hand. "Oh, that is Mommy."

Zephyr looked up. Mommy. She signed.

Espa nodded. Yes. She signed.

Don walked into the dining room. And gently set Annie in the high chair. She looked at her father as he moved to go get somethings. She squaked. He stopped and looked at her his hands on his hips a moment. She cowered down. He just smiled at her. She looked to the side and smiled back a little.

Espa walked in with some rice. She put it in front of Annie. Annie put her hand it and crushed some of the rice together to make a cake. She ate it and seemed content. Don opened a beer and started to sip it.

Alan and Espa came in carrying dishes of food for them. Charlie came in with Zephyr in his arms. He put her in her booster seat next to Alan. Espa sat down and started to serve herself. She passed it to Don.

"How was the day today?" Don asked the family wondering about Annie.

"Good. She did not like the doctor, but grandpa got her a bath and let her play with Zephyr and the toys." Espa said.

"She seems more comfortable with men." Alan said eating some brisket.

"She has known nothing else." Don said with a shrug. "She doesn't trust well." He looked at his wife. "How is she with you?"

"Nervous. Daddy and grandpa seem to have her love right now." She said a little bitterly.

"Espa…she needs to learn is all." Alan said. "She has been through hell…"

"Yeah you are right." Espa nodded as she looked at Zephyr munching food down.

Annie was eating her rice with her binky next to her. She then froze as Don looked up at her. She had a look on her face and then coughed. Half the rice she had eaten came back up. She whimpered and reached and started to put it back in her mouth.

Don reached out and stopped her. "Annie…sweetheart…no no." He said gently. He looked at Espa. "She threw up."

"With rice?" Espa sighed. Don nodded. "I will clean her up. Poor thing. She needs small meals."

"No." Don said lying a hand on her. "I'll do it." He said. He stood up and reached for her gently. She was cowering and looking up at him as she stuffed her binky in. He picked her up and turned her from him. He carried her upstairs and stripped her gently and put her in the bathtub after removing her diaper. He smiled and gave her a small cookie seeing that she had peeed in her diaper. She took the cookie and held it. He rolled up his sleeves and knelt down and started the water. She laughed and started to splash in the tub. He smiled and let her as he pulled toys down for her. She started to play. He was able to sneak the dollie away before she got it wet. He used a washcloth and washed her front gently as she squirmed playing.

Playing, he wondered if she had ever done that really. She was almost three and so small. He gently washed the vomit from her hair and face watching her. The little thing was at piece in the water and he wondered if she had ever had a bath before she had come here. She splashed him when a toy popped up and he smiled and splashed her back gently. She smiled and ducked away. His heart leapt to his throat again. The little thing could have fun…she knew fun, and under all the layers of abuse a three year old wanted to be a child…a child that had nearly died in Cambodia.

NUMB3RS

Don walked into the office and looked at the second Amber Alert on his desk of a baby with the same description and almost the identical picture as the baby from Saint George. He blinked looking at them.

Megan had found another girl from LA-U who had originally been from southern Utah and gone to BYU. She had come to LA and then disappeared some months later. She too was single, pretty, and had had no boyfriends and had been good acedemically.

Megan watched Don turn and type into his computer before she asked about the baby girl and asked when they would be able to meet the new baby Eppes. She also grilled him for why he had not used the adoption leave to get his child settled. He pointed out he was in the middle of a case and his family understood that. Megan just looked at him as he turned back to his work.

NUMB3RS

It was lunch time and Colby and David had gone out to check into the bishop and question him further, but they found the man was in the wind. The put out a APB on him and set markers on his credit cards to track him should he try to move.

Espa, Zephyr, and Annie came in for lunch. There was a storm outside. Little Annie was bundled in the back on the two baby stroller and was holding her ears against the thunder sounds outside.

Zephyr was looking about Daddy's office, clearly looking for him. Megan looked up as Espa came in. Larry was standing next to her talking. They both grinned.

"Is Annie here?" Megan asked as she lifted Zephyr out. The toddler went and climbed into her father's chair.

"Yes she is." Espa smiled. "Is Don here? We brought him lunch…"

"Yeah, he is briefing the Salt Lake Bureau branch over tele-conference." Megan said as Espa pushed the sunshade down to reveal the tiny girl looking up at them. She was nervously sucking on her binky. Espa handed her a small bottle of soy milk and the binky was pulled out and the girl started to suck on the bottle. Vanilla was a flavor that the small girl seemed to favor.

Megan bent down and looked at the brown eyes regarding her suspciously. "We are not sure what to make of us." She smiled. "Hello Annie." The little girl was bundled in a onesie and a small jacket. It was warm, but Megan knew it was nothing like Cambodia's weather here.

"Annie good." Came the small voice around the nipple of the bottle.

"Yes, you are." Megan said reaching to touch the small head. The head moved and ducked a little. "Still skitish of being touched, huh."

"Well you are new." Espa said.

Larry leaned in. "Hello Annie. I am Doctor Fleinhardt. I teach physics. I know that you have no idea what in this galaxy that is right now, but that is what I do."

"I think Uncle Larry would work." Megan smiled. "Like I am Auntie Megan."

"Meg…" The small voice said and then she yawned around the bottle.

Everyone laughed.

Don came out from the war room and smiled seeing his wife with a bag and his two girls. Zephyr was being spun in the chair by Megan and Annie was batting at some string that Larry had much like a cat, but at least she was smiling at him.

"What did you bring me?" He asked licking his lips before throwing out his gum into the trash can by his desk. Zephyr and Annie sat up and excitedly were reaching for him. He laughed and scooped them both up on his arms. "My girls brought me lunch. If you excuse us…" He smiled at Larry and Megan. He walked into the interrogation room where he could let them both be on the ground with toys. He set them down when the play blanket was set down by their mother. Annie batted at his tie as he held her.

Zephyr leaned over and kissed her sister gently and signed Daddy. 

Annie sat on her blanket sucking in the bottle slowly. It had only one hole to slow down the milk coming into her mouth at once so she swallowed less. Zephyr was busy munching on some Kix cereal and playing with a dollie near her sister.

Espa and Don dove into their deli sandwiches. Don had not had anything to eat really and real food tasted good. He looked up seeing Colby and David were back. Colby was talking to Megan. Don say him put something in his desk in the bullpen before he came into the room.

"Zephyr…" He grinned as she looked up and he ducked behind the table. She laughed and looked through the chair legs at him. He moved forward and then sat down near them. "Hello Annie."

"Annie good." Annie said pulling out the bottle and putting her binky in her mouth again. She sucked on it looking at Colby as he sat with his hands wide. Zephyr pounced on him and he laughed and rolled back as the small hands tried to tickle him. He laughed out of her inability to do it more than anything and he smiled at Annie who was watching. Big sister was playing with the man and not getting punished.

She scooted and looked at him. She pointed at him with her little hand. He gently kissed it and smiled. "Colby." He said. He pointed at her. "Annie."

"Col-buzz." She said around her binky.

"Colby." He smiled.

"Col-buzz."

Espa chuckled. "She has learned that bees go buzz Colby."

"Oh…" He smiled. He nodded. "Col-buzz." He nodded. He pressed a finger to her nose playfully. "Annie…"

She giggled and then the door opened to reveal David. He was wearing just his shirt, tie, slacks, and side arm. Annie looked up and her eyes riveted on his gun. Then her eyes lifted to his face. She pushed herself up onto her feet, though wobbily, it was something that Don had never seen her do and Espa only a couple of times. She pointed and screamed around her binky at him and twisted to run away.

David froze not sure what to make of her reaction. The scream had made all the adults look at her in the room as well as several passing by outside. Don and Espa looked at each other. It was the most noise they had ever heard from her. A milestone. She trusted that Daddy would come to help her.

On her second step there was a crunching sound and she fell to the floor. Don was on his feet instantly and going to her. He rolled her gently on her back and looked at her. She was breathing hard, her eyes full of fear. When she saw him she reached to hug him. He hugged her and then saw her leg bent at a strange angle. The step had broken her brittle bones like a dry twig. Tenderly he moved her to look at her face. She was clutching at him in obvious pain, but there was no tears in here eyes. No tears, but a look of desperation and pain that went straight throw him.

Espa gently knelt down. "Annie…sweetheart…are you okay?"

"No." Don said softly. "She broke her leg."

"What? She was just walking." David said. He stayed by the door as Colby called for an ambulance. Annie continued to twitch and clutch at Don.

The paramedics came in fairly short order. David had gone out to sit with Megan. The girl's reaction had spooked him a little. Colby sat with Zephyr distracting her as her mother and father fussed over the in pain little girl.

"Where is our patient?" The lead paramedic asked.

"Here." Don said gently lying her on the stretcher. He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Annie good." He said gently as he extracted himself.

"Where does it hurt, honey?" The paramedic asked Annie who looked at him breathing hard.

"She is new here. She doesn't speak English." Espa said.

"Oh?" The man asked gently looking at her leg. The girl gasped when he turned it a little. "You broke it huh?" He smiled kindly. "You the mother?"

"Yes." Espa said.

"Coming?" He asked as they lifted the stretcher up.

"Yes." Don said pushing Espa toward the door gently.

"But…Zephyr…I…"

"She'll be fine here until you get back with Annie in a cast." Don said. He kissed her and then nodded to the paramedics. Zephyr pulled on his pant leg. He picked her up and watched her hands. "Yes…sister hurt. Men going to help her." Don said and signed.

NUMB3RS

It was a simple break. After several x-rays, the doctor was able to set it. The doctor was shocked that the girl was not in terrible pain. Then he saw that she was biting her arm enough to cause blood to drip and that was not the first time. He gave her some baby pain meds to help and plastered a cast. Never had he had a patient so young sit so still for the process.

Little Annie was then allowed to go home. Espa called Alan to get them and he was more than happy to. Little Annie was very sleepy from the meds and she fell asleep against grandpa's shoulder on the way out of the hospital, even with the steady rain dropping on her face.

NUMB3RS

"Agent Eppes." An orderly said. He handed Don a file as he stood at the door of the war room. The file was of the deep freeze the bishop's house. The quick run down on the description looked to be Lynn Holstrum, the girl who had been missing.

"Okay, let's break this down." Don said looking at Colby and David as they looked at the crime scene photos. "The bishop gets girls to come here by paying tuition. What does he get? Obviously, Holstrum did not do whatever it is and was killed."

"Yeah and with the guy in the wind, we can't ask him." David said.

"Yeah and what do babies have to do with it. And why do two families what the same baby." Don asked pacing with gum in his mouth he was chewing and his hands in his back pants pockets.

"We know the baby was taken from Utah…" David said.

Colby walked in. "I found three other missing persons files on babies taken from the Saint George region over the past couple of years." He said plopping the files before Don.

Don opened them to start to read. Two little feet made them all look up. Zephyr came in and looked up expectantly at her father. He looked at her.

Daddy braid my hairs. Megan no can. Came the gesturing hands. She held up a scrunchi.

He nodded and reached down. He set her on a chair and began to braid her hair deftly as he looked at the screen before them. "We need to find if there are any other girls he did this for? I mean…he had to have paid for more girls to try to smuggle kids into Calfornia." He finished the braid and put the scrunchi in it. He then helped his daughter down and watched her go back out to Megan. He then saw Colby and David's looks of amusment. "What?"

"Nothing…we will get on that." David said nodding to Colby.

NUMB3RS

The search showed that the roommate of Misty Jorgenson had also come after having money from the bishop.

Don, David, and Colby went and busted open the door. She jumped up. She looked at them in surprise. The apartment was searched and Colby found a baby in a car seat sleeping soundly.

Don cuffed the girl and then asked her where the bishop was. She refused to talk. The door opened to reveal the bishop with another man and woman behind them. The bishop froze seeing Don. He shoved the couple out of his way and ran for it.

Don and Colby ran after him calling for him to stop. In the courtyard he turned and lifted a gun from his suit jacket. Don fired his gun twice knocking the man backward. David went to him and cuffed him as Don stood over him. David saw the man was still alive and so Don called for backup.

Colby came out with the baby, the girl, and the bewildered two parents who had been expecting to adopt a baby from a husband and wife and had no idea they were involved in a black market operation.

The baby, Maxwell Hayton, was staying at the office until his parents could get him from Saint George.

The girl agreed to testify for a lesser sentence. She had been terrified because she knew he had killed Lynn.

NUMB3RS

Don carried the two girls upstairs to the new flat. Espa followed with the diaper bag and little Annie's blanket and walker.

Don walked to Annie's room first. He gently laid her down in the bed and she snuggled down. He pulled the blanket up hiding her cast. He sat and smiled at her. He kissed her and so did Zephyr. The girl was exhausted and she was asleep in seconds holding her dollie and sucking on her thunb. He had managed to remove the binky and put it on the table.

He walked out listening to Espa as she hummed softly as she started the laundry of Annie's clothes that she got sick on. He carried Zephyr to her bedroom. He laid her down. She looked about nervously.

He read to her from _The Hobbit _as she watched him. She was fighting sleep, listening to her father's voice. Espa came in and put in a night light for her. She snuggled down after a kiss from mom and dad with her bunny.

Espa shut the door and walked out into the hall with her husband. "I made us some tea." She said softly. It was still early at only nine pm.

Don sipped his herbal tea as he watched his wife sitting in the breakfast nook listening to the rain against the window behind her. Her legs were in his lap as he gently rubbed them. "Is there a reason you did not make decaf?" He asked her as he set his mug down.

"It didn't sound good." She said rubbing her stomach a little.

"Sick?" He asked.

"No…just a little tired. Annie is a treasure, but exhausting."

"Yeah." He smiled and rubbed her leg gently. He saw a lightening strike flash and smiled. "Quite the storm." He said softly.

"Yeah." She said. She finished her tea and sighed looking at him. "Well, how did the case turn out."

"The bishop got girls to smuggle babies for him."

"That is twisted." Espa said. "Well he will not be a Mormon bishop for much longer."

"Oh?" He asked looking at her as he finished his tea.

"No, he will likely get excommunicated for that." She smiled and dropped her legs down and scooted to the end and stood up. She touched her forehead and smiled a little. "The rain is helping my allergy headache." She said.

He nodded. "Good." He rose and went to check the locks before he went into the master bedroom. Their mattress was on the floor. It was a king, but the bedframe had not arrived yet. He smiled as he watched her dress for bed. He mimicked her actions. "You know this is our first night here." He smiled at her.

"Yes." She said turning to him wearing a tanktop on top and a pair of bikini cut white panties beneath. She smiled and flopped onto the bed. "And what do you intend to do, my handsome husband?" She asked looking at his nearly naked form only feet from her. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was hard and wanting. She pressed a foot to his crotch playfully.

He caught the offending foot deftly and held it as his thunb rubbed her ankle bone. He then bent and kissed it gently before he pulled her to the edge of the bed. "I intend to christen this room as ours for several hours." He said with a sly grin as he bent his head to kiss and nip at the flesh of her abdomen.

She gasped in delight. Oh yes, the Eppes were home at last.


	36. Life is a Game

**Life is a Game**

2

Killers

32

Chess Pieces

6

Dead

1

Life

Dr. Larry Fleinhardt's eyebrow's furrowed as he looked at the chess board before him. Alan Eppes sat across from him watching him. The two always enjoyed a good game. On the floor beside them sat Annie who was playing with some used toys of Zephyrs. She sucked lazily on her binky movement catching her eye as she played.

"Zeppa…" She said lifting a tea cup to her. "Cuppie…"

Zephyr looked at her sister and took it. She smiled and sipped it.

Larry looked down. "Did she say Zeppa?" He asked.

"Yeah." Alan said looking at the board. "She can't say her name fully yet."

"Ah, the speech patterns of children. And yet they learn so much that they can rule the world in just a few years. Soon they will conquer space." Larry smiled at him and then down at Annie. "Can you say Larry?" He asked offering her a slice of apple.

"Lar-ie." She said and reached for the apple.

"Good." He nodded at her and tousled her hair gently.

"Annie good." She said around the binky. She smiled and turned back to giving her dolly a cup of tea.

"Yes…" He smiled at her and then moved a piece on the board seeing Alan looking at him expectantly.

Zephyr was rubbing her eyes. Alan smiled and lifted her up. He carried her up to her crib to nap for a while. Annie had scooted to take a crayon to color on a piece of paper. Larry watched her. Alan returned in short order and sat back to play again.

Espa had gone to work at the school and then went to the doctor. Don had sent her there because she had been fatigued and tired lately. She suspected it was just because of dealing with Annie over the passed couple of weeks. The little angel was gaining weight and learning to walk with her walker. Her leg was still in a cast from breaking it and it was a constant worry she would break more, but she seemed to be thriving now. Better even, the Eppes had learned communication enough to realize that she was potty trained. They only had to keep a diaper on at night because she would sometimes sleep through her need of peeing. Though at her age wetting the bed was hardly terrible, but she had been so afraid of a beating…Don had just held her as Espa changed the bed after finding her under the bed and cooed to her that it was okay.

Espa walked into the door of the Eppes house and sighed as she set her book bag down. Her father-in-law looked up at her. "You look exhausted honey."

"No." she smiled a little. "Just a little overwhelmed. Where is Zephyr?"

"Oh?" Alan asked as he moved a piece. "She is napping." Larry watched him before looking back up at Espa from his lounging position.

Espa smiled a little more. "Dad…do you and Larry promise not to tell Don or Charlie or anyone else….yet." She said taking a step forward.

"Of course." Larry said. "My lips are sealed and only the heavens will know the secret."

Alan gave him a look. "Sure Espa. What is it? Did the doctor find out something?" He doubted it was bad by how she was smiling.

She took a breath. "Well since you were the last to know last time…" She laughed a little. "Dad, I'm pregnant." She said.

He looked at her and laughed. "Really…wow." He reached a hand over to touch her belly. "Where is it?" He said looking up at her. "Have you been sick?"

"You can't feel anything at seven weeks Dad." Espa smiled. "Just the smell of coffee is getting to me again."

Larry looked at the baby on the floor and then Espa. "I think congratulations are in order." He smiled. "What do you think Don will think?"

"He is not going to know what to do with three small kids, but I am happy. I am a grandfather and the more kids the merrier." Alan said.

NUMB3RS

Don Eppes sighed looking down crime scene before him. There were two bodies on the floor. Both had been shot at close range and bled out on scene. On the table where they had been sitting apparently was a chess board. Charlie looked at it from where he stood near his brother.

"Who do we have?" Don asked Colby as he came to them.

"Mark O'Brian and Chad Dahl." Colby said holding up their school IDs in his gloved hand. "Both are chess stars, both are in the chemistry department at UC-Berkeley, and both are total geeks." Don took the IDs and looked at them.

"Oh?" Charlie asked. "What makes you say that?"

"Only geeks have Napoleon Dynamite posters in their dorm rooms." Colby said looking at him. "No offense Whiz Kid."

"None taken." Charlie said with a smile. Charlie looked at the table once more and bent to look more intently.

Don eyed him a moment before he squatted and lifted the sheet to look at one of the bodies. "Through and through, through the chest. Looks back to front." He said looking up sounding a little surprised.

"Yeah. Coroner thinks they saw the killer and tried to run." Colby said. "So what are you looking at Charlie?"

"He would have been mated in three moves." Charlie said absently.

"Do you have anything else that might be useful?" Don asked.

"Your shooters were standing about here." Charlie said demonstrating.

"Shooters? As in more than one?" Don asked

"Yeah. The trajectories suggest two shooters." Charlie said.

"Sir." A man said standing up. "We got shell casings from a nine millimeter and what looks like a .350."

Don bent down. "Thanks." Don said. "You are right. Two guns. Two shooters." He said nodding at his brother.

NUMB3RS

Charlie was in the middle of a massive equation he was working on. A small dark head with twin braids bounced up into his vision. He looked down startled. "Hi." He smiled at Zephyr. He looked back at Annie who was contentedly sleeping on her play blanket with her dolly under her arm and her thumb in her mouth.

There was a knock at the door. Don walked in. "Charlie, I…" he froze seeing his daughter next to his brother.

Charlie's eyes met Don's look of surprise as Zephyr moved to hug her father's legs. He bent down and picked her up. "Why are the girls here?" Don asked.

"Espa had to go to a meeting for the faculty and Dad was at the shelter downtown so I have the kids for a bit."

Don kissed his daughter's temple softly. Her hair smelled like the shampoo Espa had bathed her in that morning. He eyed his brother as he put a piece of gum in his mouth. "I need to buy more." He said throwing the empty pack away.

He patted Zephyr's back gently before setting her back on the ground. ((You being good?)) He signed to her.

((Yes, daddy.)) She smiled as she signed up to him.

((Good girl. Where's Annie?)) Don asked her as he knelt down and straightened her play dress.

((Sleep.)) Zephyr signed and pointed at the sprawled form on the blanket.

Don looked over and smiled. He looked up at his brother and rose to his feet as he handed a file to him. "Here is the data you wanted. Don't get so absorbed that you forget they are here." He said. He waved at his daughter and then turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Charlie asked.

"To tell the parents that their kids died. One was from Pasadena and the other was from Washington State. I am supposed to meet his parents at the hotel." Don said with a shrug.

"But there are your kids." Charlie said setting the file down on his desk as Zephyr became interested in a ball on the floor.

"I'm working." Don said at the door.

"So am I, man." Charlie said.

"Talk to Espa about it. It is good for you. It will help you with Amita, trust me." Don said with a smirk and left.

Charlie sighed and went back to his work on the chalkboard.

"Uncle Charlie. Can I have gum?" A small voice asked.

"Sure. What color?" he asked turning to the large jar of them. He looked back at his calculations.

"Blue."

Charlie fished out and gave it to the small raised hand before he corrected part of the math he had written. He gathered his papers and went into the hall. He went to the far end to photocopy his work in the math department office.

After three copies he froze. Who had just spoken to him? The English had been too good for Annie and Annie always said 'Charlie good' not 'Uncle Charlie'.

He walked back to his office. Zephyr was sitting at his desk kicking her feet as she colored in her coloring book. Blue was smeared across her little face and she was chewing loudly. "Zephyr?" He asked leaning against the desk.

"Yes." She answered looking up.

He blinked. "You spoke."

"I have gum like daddy." She said around the large wad.

He blinked. "Zephyr, say my name?"

"Uncle Charlie."

"Who is that?" He asked pointing at Annie.

"Annie." She held up a piece of paper. "I make blue triangle. I like blue."

Charlie was stunned. His niece was talking to him. She had never spoken a word to anyone before and she was now speaking complete sentences.

NUMB3RS

Don walked from the hotel and sighed. It was never easy telling anyone that their kid was killed. To have one murdered was worse. He got into his car and his cell phone rang. "Eppes." He said sighing.

"Hey Don."

"Charlie. What's up buddy?" Don asked turning on his car, but not putting it into drive just yet.

"Zephyr spoke to me."

"Charlie. Zephyr doesn't talk. She signs. The doctor said she will talk when she feels like it and not before. Maybe you heard Annie."

"No man. Annie is still asleep. It was Zephyr. She asked me for gum."

"Gum? Did you seriously give gum to a two year old?" Don asked his fatherly nature in his tone. He was shocked that even his brother would not see that as a choking hazard.

"Well she asked."

"Does she still have it in her mouth?"

"Yes."

"Take it out Charlie."

"Why?"

"Do it."

"All right." There was a scuffling and a whimper. "Are you happy you upset her?"

"Better than he choking when she tried to swallow it." Don said as he put his suburban into reverse and backed up. "Listen Charlie. She didn't talk to you. She might have signed for a gumball, but she does not talk. She would have talked to me or Espa first."

"No see. She can talk to you with her hands. I never learned so she wants to talk to me. She does Don. In complete sentences."

"Buddy, I need to go I am on the road. No she didn't." Don said. "See ya later. When is Espa getting them?"

"Soon. They were putting in a new department chair."

"Well, I will see you later. See if Zephyr will nap for you." Don said as he stopped at a light and clapped his phone shut.

NUMB3RS

Don walked into the office. Colby met him at the elevator. The shell casings matched a nine millimeter and a 350 Magnum. There were two kids killed for no reason. The kids had no enemies and were perfect in school as far as grades. No girlfriends, no drugs, and no parties.

These kids were totally geeks.

A woman was shot coming out of her apartment was shot by a nine millimeter. The shell casings matched the bullets from one of the killers they were after. These killers were on a spree now.

They needed to be stopped.

NUMB3RS

Espa sighed and walked into Charlie's office. She set down her bag and leaned back and sighed. Charlie looked up at her from where he was sitting reading a book at his desk. "Hey, are you all right?" He stood up and went to her.

"Yeah. I am department chair." She said.

"Oh? How did that happen?" He asked looking at her.

"Well, I guess I was due." She shrugged looking down at Annie and Zephyr sleeping on the floor. "They are cute."

"Yeah. She spoke to me Espa."

"Of course Annie talks." Espa said walking over. She dropped to her knees and gently shook Zephyr. The little girl shook her head and rolled over. Espa chuckled and then gently roused Annie.

Annie sat up and looked at her and looked about as she rubbed her eyes.

"No. Not Annie. Zephyr." Charlie said.

Espa gently got Zephyr awake and went about gathering the baby things from the room and putting the things into a diaper bag. "She doesn't want to Charlie."

"Why do you and Don not believe me?" Espa straightened and sighed. Her hand went to her head as she leaned against a chair a little dizzy. Charlie came to her and gently touched her arm. "Hey are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. Just tired."

"Want some coffee?"

"No!" She said looking up sharply. She then sighed and looked at him. He was startled by her outcry. So were her children. "Sorry." She said holding up her hand. "I just…my stomach does not handle it well."

Charlie walked to her and touched her arm. "Espa…you drink coffee…except when…" He looked up at her. She caught his eye and then looked down seeing he had guessed. Her reaction told him that he had guessed correctly. "Are you pregnant?" He asked.

She sighed. "Yes." She nodded.

"Does Don know?"

"No. I have not told him. I am going to tell him on his birthday." She smiled. "I am only seven weeks."

He looked at her. "You have three little babies Espa."

"I know. I am so happy. And your father is as well."

He chuckled. "I am sure." Amita walked in. "Hi Amita…"

"Am I interrupting?" Amita asked.

"No." Charlie smiled. "She was telling me she was made department chair, picking up the babies, and telling me that I will be an uncle again in thirty-three weeks."

Amita laughed. "You're pregnant again." She laughed and hugged Espa. "Congratulations!" She said and laughed.

NUMB3RS

Don sighed looking at the new crime scene photos. Two bartenders had been killed as they went to open their dive bar in Silver Lake. Again the same caliber weapons and the same weapons.

This time they had camera shots of the two young people. The pictures were fuzzy, however, and Charlie was working with Amita to make video clearer for the team. It was slow going, but it was working.

NUMB3RS

Espa walked into the FBI office and sighed. She put a hand on her head. She sighed and walked into the bullpen. Megan and Colby were there working on their computers. Colby looked up at her as she leaned against the glass beside his desk.

"Whoa…you okay Espa?" He asked gently. He rose to his feet. He gently laid a hand on her arm.

She lifted a hand to her head. "Just a bit of nausea is all."

"Are you sure?" Megan asked. "Are you all right?"

"Yes…" Espa took a step forward, but something churned in her stomach. She had had very little morning sickness this pregnancy, but her lunch suddenly did not want to stay down. "Um…excuse me." She said and she ran toward the restroom.

Colby looked at Megan. He moved to follow his superior's wife. He knew she was ill. She had been green. He knocked on the door. "Espa…" He walked in hearing no response to him. He could hear dry hacking from the far stall. He walked down to it. "Espa?"

"Yes?" She asked looking back at him.

"Are you all right?"

"You seem that you are…"

"Do not tell Don." She said. "He would be upset…" She said.

"Tell him what? Come on…" He helped her up. "You look like hell."

"I am pregnant Colby." She said.

NUMB3RS

Charlie stood looking at his brother. Three sets of shootings. Two teenagers caught on a video from the last shooting. A girl and a boy.

The boy had a goatee and the girl had a ponytail. They were young and smiling. They shot the bartenders and then the girl ran to the boy and kissed him. They walked off hand in hand as though nothing was wrong.

Don shook his head watching. It was like this was all a game to them.

NUMB3RS

Don looked at Espa across the table in their favorite restaurant. "So you are department chair. How are you today Madam Chairperson?"

"Oh don't you start." She said lifting her glass of tea.

Don noticed that she had refused wine, but she had said it was because she had papers to grade when she got home. That was a shame. He had planned on celebrating in other ways later. He smirked quietly into his glass.

"So how is the case?"

"Could be better. We have a pair of spree killers who think that murder is a game."

"So the King and the Queen are on the run and the Knight is trying to catch them before another piece is knocked from the board." She smiled.

"A creative way to look at it. You played Dad before I picked you up didn't you."

"Yeah." She smiled at him.

He took her hand softly. "I am so happy for you. This job is a high honor I am sure."

"Yes. I am the chair of History, English, Philosophy, and Sociology. They wanted all of the LA departments under one banner now. Sadly I have to deal with that politic too." She sighed. She looked at him as he rubbed her hand thoughtfully. "You seem deep in thought."

"The case. It is nothing. Oh look the food is here." He grinned.

NUMB3RS

Don walked toward the war room. He paused at the door hearing his wife's name. Colby and Charlie were there together. He had gone out only a moment to fetch a file and take a call.

"So Espa's pregnant again?" Colby asked Charlie.

"Yeah." Charlie said.

"How far along?"

"Only a few weeks." Charlie said.

"Has she told Don yet?"

"She didn't want him to know yet. She told dad after she found out."

"But she hasn't told the dad yet. Don will be thrilled to be the last to know. I know I am."

"She is planning to tell him herself in her own time." Charlie said.

Don blinked. His wife was pregnant? He frowned. And she had not told him? He took a breath.

"Don is a hell of a stud ain't he? He has three kids in three years…" Colby smiled. Don made a face outside.

"Technically Annie was adopted."

"Still. Two kids in three years." Colby said.

"Mathematically speaking there was a higher probability that she would have relaxed and allowed Don to…" Charlie coughed. "Obviously the baby was more likely when she relaxed."

"Yeah, but if she was my wife, we would not be relaxing…"

"Yeah, you are most likely right, but she's my sister-in-law and I should not think of her that way."

"Come on man. I'm friends with her too, but really, if anything happens to Don, Espa will be well taken care of."

Don bit his tongue.

"And the kids?"

"Hey I love kids." Colby said. "And those kids are darlings…"

Don had had enough. Espa flirted with Colby and he with her and he knew it was innocent. He also knew men looked at his wife and he could hardly fault them, but he was angry right now. He opened the door and both men looked up at him guiltily.

"We got the ME reports, Don." Colby said. "What is the connection between chess players, a real estate agent, and two bar keeps?"

Don shrugged. "Our bar keeps had priors though." He put down the file he was holding. "Why don't you run down family and friends to see if there were any enemies. Maybe the kids are into drugs and settling a score?"

"Sure." Colby said as he nodded. He moved to walk out when Don turned. "Hold on a second Colby."

Colby paused. "What's up?"

Don folded his arms and looked at the two of them harshly. Charlie winced knowing that look all too well. "How is it that you _**both**_ know that _**my**_ wife is _**pregnant**_ and yet _**I**_ know nothing about it?" He asked staring them down.

Charlie swallowed and dropped his head. Colby took a breath realizing Don had overheard them.

"Well. I was by accident Don. You see…she was…she was sick…in the bathroom. She told me…" Colby said. His nervous stumbling would have amused Don at any other time.

Don sighed. "And you?" He asked turning his gaze to his brother.

"It is not hard to pick up if you watch her for long Don. She gained some weight, she is deep in thought some times and does not hear, she touches her belly, she has an aversion to coffee, and she glows."

"She glows?" Don asked looking at him. He took a step forward. He shook his head. This was between him and his wife. "But why didn't she tell me? I'm the dad." He paused looking squarely at his brother and his wife's confidant. "Right?"

Charlie nodded. "It's yours. She wanted to surprise you Don."

He scoffed and moved to sit down as he waved Colby off.

NUMB3RS

David and Colby went around town talking to the families and friends of the two bar tenders. They were into some drugs, but not for a while now. They were trying to have a legitimate business.

The two killers had no connection to any of the victims. They found a finger print. The girl, Jessica Dune was busted for shop lifting at thirteen.

Don sent Colby and David to pick her up at her home. They went into the home with the mother and she tried to run. Colby pinned her down on her floor. David down the nine millimeter under the bed.

They brought her in.

She refused to talk and her parents called a lawyer. She was the daughter of two rich people from Hollywood who thought their daughter could do no wrong. Don was sure by how she looked down at them that she had never suffered the consequences at all.

NUMB3RS

Don went with David and Megan to Justin Laketon's home in full SWAT gear. The kid went came to the window and shot at them.

After almost four hours and Don negotiating that for him to give up because they had his girlfriend already, Justin gave in. He confessed as they arrested him that he had done it all to impress the rich young girl he had fallen in love with.

He had been poor and his mother never cared because she was always drunk. He had been free to do as he pleased.

In interrogation the young man told Don that the game with Jessie was like playing chess, one always had to out think her or she lost interest quickly in her amore.

All the team could do was book him and Jessica for murder and send two kids who had never suffered a day in their lives to jail for the rest of their lives.

NUMB3RS

It was just after eight o'clock. Don jumped lightly out of his suburban. He still had time to perhaps see the girls awake before they went to bed. He went up the stairs to the third floor where their two level flat was. He put his key in the door and reflected how amazing it was to have a home of his own. Though an apartment style it had more square footage than the family home and it had Espa's dream kitchen. There was also room to expand their family, which was good, all things considered.

"Hello?" He called.

"We are in here, Daddy?" Espa's voice called from Annie's room.

He pulled off his wind breaker and dropped it on the chair as he walked into the room. Annie was sucking on her binky. She lifted a hand up to Don. Don smiled and leaned down and hugged Annie. He kissed her head gently. She snuggled down.

Espa kissed her goodnight. She then shooed Zephyr out and into her room. Espa and Don walked out shutting the door behind them. They walked to Zephyr's room. The two year old climbed into bed and laid back.

Don sat on the bed and read to her a couple of pages and she was asleep in no time. He kissed her goodnight as did Espa. They walked out together and shut the door.

Espa sighed and rubbed her head as she walked toward the kitchen. "I want some tea. Do you want some?" she asked.

He followed her. "Actually I was thinking coffee. Do you want some?" He asked sweetly. He walked to the cabinet. "Huckleberry perhaps?" he asked opening the bag and passing it to her. "Though you make it better. Can you brew me some?"

Espa's breath caught as she pushed it away from her. "No. Please. I don't feel good." She walked out and started for the stairs. He started for the stairs. He followed her as she walked up.

"Have you gained weight?" He asked. "I remember that shirt sitting different. Not that you adding some to your curves is bad." His sticky sweet tone was aggravating her and he knew it by how she was ignoring him as she walked to the TV and plopped on the couch.

"Is it stress? I have heard stress causes you to eat more." He said.

"Don. Please…I want to relax."

"Oh." He stood over her and folded his arms. She looked up at him and noted his expression was not sweet. It was not amused. "Though weight gain is to be expected. You are thirty after all."

"Will you stop hovering? You are making me nervous."

"Good. Maybe you are feeling guilty about not telling me something?"

"What would that be?" She looked up at him. "Do I need a lawyer, agent?" she asked testily.

"I know Espa. Why don't you just fess up?"

"What? How could I possibly…"

"So you are hiding something from?"

"Don…Donnie…I…"

"What?" He asked leaning forward.

"Will you sit down?"

"No."

She shook her head.

"When were you going to tell me?" He asked.

"Tell you…?"

"Yes. Really Esperanza. Did you honestly think I would not notice?"

"Well…no…but…"

"How long were you going to keep me in the dark that I am going to be a father again." He asked.

She looked up at him startled. "Who told you?" She asked with a sigh.

"What does that matter? You didn't. Isn't it a little important for the daddy to know?" He asked her with a sigh.

"I don't like your tone." She said standing up. She drew herself up to her full height and he could see the softening in her face and the slight swell under her tank top in the low light.

"Oh? Well I do not like having my family news by third class mail." He snapped back at her. His voice was louder than he had intended and so he sighed and looked down at his wife. His gaze was like he was interrogating a suspect rather than discussing things with his wife.

"You can not cow me agent." She said.

"Oh?" He asked turning off the TV as she moved away from him. "I have other ways to get your secrets."

"What secrets? You know more about me than my father." She said throwing up her hands.

"And yet…"

"Donnie. You are being silly. Can't you just let it go? I'm pregnant all right. I wanted to tell you on your birthday."

He sighed. "That does not make me any less angry at you Esperanza."

"Oh? And how many secrets are you keeping from me?"

"That's work." He said defensively.

"Your many women were not 'work'. At least not in the traditional sense of that word." She sighed. "You never even asked about mine."

"Women?" He asked his eyebrows lifting a bit.

"No…lovers."

He folded his arms and scoffed. "I know how many lovers you had. I was the first in you anyway and I was very proud to do so, but how did this go from talking about your pregnancy to the loss of your virginity."

She shook her head. "I'm going to bed."

"It's not even ten." He said.

She tried to push by him. He stopped her. She reached down and dug her nails into his crotch and he gasped and opened his eyes wide at her. "You are getting annoying." She growled lowly.

He stepped back a little and she walked toward the stairs. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back against him. He pressed her against the wall feeling the swell of her stomach against him. He allowed her to feel his anger in his bruising possessive kiss and the hardness pressed against her stomach.

He kissed her ruthlessly nipping, sucking, and devoring her mouth in greedy possessive fury. Don Eppes was a demanding lover, especially when angry. The angry turned into red passion with his wife. He rocked his hips against hers in an ancient invitation.

"Don…" She gasped when he let her up for air. "My knees…they…they are…"

He smiled a little at her. It was a wicked smile. He bent and picked her up and she relaxed knowing that he was heading for the bedroom. Sex was a wonderful way to make up for an argument.

Her eyes opened, startled, when she found herself flat on her back on the dining room table. She gasped as she felt his hand braced at her hip, the other gathered her skirt and was pulling it upward as he kissed her agaun.

"Donnie…I…we…"

"This is our house and I will make love to my wife where I wish." He said.

"But Donnie…I will flush every time we…we eat."

"You blush deeper in places reserved for me alone." He grinned as he kissed her lower. His hand pushed up her shirt so he could kiss her breasts.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry I didn't tell you…I was…going to…" She stammered lost in the sensation.

"I know." He said. His voice was softer as he nuzzled her belly flesh. He kissed her there making her shiver in delight and for gooseflesh to form. His dark eyes looked up at her in the low light. Love, lust, and the look of an alpha male wanting to show his mate who was in charge swirled in his gaze.

She shivered as he moved over her again to kiss her mouth already bruised from his kisses earlier.

A buzzer caused them both to freeze. He looked down at her panting. "Who the hell would come here at this time of…" The buzzer sounded again. Don lifted himself and padded down the stairs to answer the door before the noise woke the girls.

He lifted the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Don?" came a young voice.

"Yes. Who is this?" He asked. He looked back at his wife coming down the stairs.

"Sorry, I'm early." She said. "Well, late, but early." She sighed knowing she was not making sense. "Let me in please." She said.

"Lupe?" He asked surprised.

"Yeah."

"You are two days early."

"I know. My friend in Reno was sick so I just came here." She said.

He sighed and buzzer her in. He looked back at his wife and smiled crookedly. "It's your sister." He said.

"Lupe?" She asked coming to him. "But she is…"

She came onto the landing and Don opened the door stepping out in his bare feet to help her with her luggage that she had hauled up. There was not much. As usual Lupe packed light. He smiled at her once she was inside.

"Hi Munchkin." He said and folded her into a hug as his wife looked on and smiled.


	37. Nine Wives

**Nine Wives**

100,000

Polygamists 

37

States 

11

Religions 

1

Bloodline

Esperanza Eppes walked into the FBI office carrying a bag of food for her, Alan, Don, Lupe, and Charlie. Her brother-in-law was walking behind her and Alan behind him with a drink tray. Lupe was walking beside him. The tall lanky teenager was becoming a woman, a little too quickly for the Eppes' taste, but she still was awkward in her body, which was a good thing. All four had come strait from Cal-Sci. Charlie and his father had waited in her new office while she was in a department meeting. It was not often that the four could enjoy a meal among themselves without the children these days. They were both in day care.

Don looked up from his desk. "I smell something good." He grinned. "And not just the food."

Lupe giggled as she looked at him.

Espa playfully swatted his shoulder as he turned to stand up. "What did you bring me?" He asked. Don loved food, especially Espa's food, which was amazing since he was still a lean-mean-crime-fighting machine. He ate more than anyone else in the room, which belayed his appearance.

"Wait and see." She said and took Alan's arm and led him to the war room. Charlie smiled at his brother and they both followed behind. The room was surrounded on all sides by windows, but it was private enough for the family to enjoy a meal.

"We need to eat quickly." Charlie said. "I have to go pick up Amita so we can go to Stanford."

"What? Are you sampling the wine in Napa Valley?" Don asked looking at him.

"No…there is a math conference there." Charlie said. "But I hear there are some great Cabernets there."

"Uh-huh." Don said eyeing him.

"Can I came?" Lupe asked. Lupe was smart, not genius smart like Charlie, but smart enough to go to any university she chose. She liked math and science and so she, Larry, and Charlie spent a lot of time together.

Espa shook her head. "Certainly not. It is a long boring drive and they will want to work on their…work."

Lupe saw strait through that and smirked a little at Charlie. "Of course." She said.

"Munchkin…can't you be a kid for a little longer and not think like an adult?" Don asked eyeing her.

"Since you live off Chinese when you do not come home I figured sandwiches and soup would be a nice change." Espa said changing the subject as she sat herself in a chair as Don shut the door behind him.

"You are not just eating salad I hope." Don said looking at her. She shot him a look. "I mean, you are eating for two again and I want to make sure you both are okay." He smiled at her and she nodded. He dropped into a seat beside her and affectionately patted her abdomen as he looked up at her. "So do you know what we are having yet?" He asked as she handed him a sandwich and a bowl of a steamy tomato soup.

She smiled at him. "Yeah. I know what I…" She saw his look and smirked. "…we are having, but I learned my lesson from the last time. No one gets to know until it is born."

"That is not fair." Don said pouting a little at her as he chewed on a large bite of his sandwich. It was his favorite. She always brought him his favorite.

"Not fair…" Espa looked up at him. "You carry a kid for ten months and see how fair that is." She said. She testily jabbed her spoon into her soup.

Don and Charlie just stared at her. Pregnancy made for interesting mood swings in women. Nice, to bitchy, to crying in seconds. The two men could never figure out Espa's mood totally lately. Alan, however, took it stride having seen it four times now with the women in his life.

"Baby, hey, I'm sorry…I just…" Don said gently touching her left hand.

"When you know what it is like to have a parasite in you for the better part of a year come and talk to me." She said sitting forward the swell touching the table making it more pronounced. She was not appeased by his gentle words and he knew it. "Can you pass me the butter dad?" She said her tone changing instantly.

"Sure honey." Alan said.

Charlie was deep into eating his food to notice the confrontation fully. Or if he had he was not letting on.

"And a baby is not a parasite." Don said. "It is a gift."

"Actually Don…" Charlie began.

Alan shot his younger son a look that silenced him into scraping the last bit out of his soup cup. Espa smirked a little. "Yes, and as much as I am resenting you at the moment for it, it is a gift you gave me and we share." She said gently and reached to touch his cheek. "And I thank you for it." She smiled as he turned to look at her.

"I love you, you know that." Don said leaning against her palm.

"I know." She said offering a half smile. Then she started to giggle.

"What?" He asked looking at her.

"Just trying to imagine you with swollen ankles and a belly from a baby." She said giggling as her hand dropped down.

He chuckled at that and touched her cheek. "You are so beautiful when you smile like that." He told her. "Seriously keep feeding me this well and I am going to have to run three miles a day to keep it off instead of two." He grinned and they all burst into laughing.

Colby walked in. "Sorry if I am interrupting, but…" He smiled at them. "What's for lunch?" He asked Espa leaning over her. Lupe smiled at Colby and he smiled back. "Hey kiddo." He said and she passed him her bag of chips, which he took without question.

"What is it Colby?" Don asked watching as Espa lifted her sandwich. She had learned he would just steal it anyway since she let him. He took a big bite looking like a squirrel with a cheek full of nuts.

"Thanks Espa." He grinned. "Man that is good…" He chewed and then turned to look at his boss's impatient stare. He chewed a bit and then swallowed. "We need to go to the desert. They found some teenager dead by the road."

"Oh my God." Espa said.

"Yeah." Colby said. "She was thirteen or fourteen. Lupe's age." He said looking at the young girl as she sat in her loose shirt and jeans.

"What the hell was she doing in the desert?" Alan asked. Espa nodded in agreement.

Lupe sighed. "I know better than to be in the desert. Unless you drink a gallon or more you die."

"Rafting the Grand did get in your head huh?" Espa smiled.

"Sure did." Lupe smiled.

"All right." Don said standing up. He kissed his wife. "Thanks for lunch. I will see you at home later okay? Charlie…good luck on your…math thing."

"Thanks." Charlie said.

"Sure." She smiled at him. "I love you." She said as he pushed open the door.

He smiled. "I know…" He looked at Colby leaning against the back of her chair as he swallowed the rest of the sandwich he had taken. He reached over and grabbed her coke and took a swallow. Alan and Charlie were about to protest when Espa shook her head. "Granger!" Don barked.

"Oh…sorry…Thanks Espa." He said flashing a smile before he dashed after Don who was shaking his head.

NUMB3RS

Don and Colby drove several miles on the dirt road that they were sent on. Don parked his suburban and as they got out a mid-aged blonde woman walked toward them.

"FBI?" She called to them.

"Yeah, how you doing?" Don asked.

"Rachel Willons, California Bureau of Investigation." The woman said offering her hand.

"Don Eppes."

"Colby Granger." Colby said taking her hand.

"Abner Stone did this." She said without preamble.

"Did what?"

"Kidnapped the girl and beat her." Rachel said.

"Abner Stone from the polygamy cult?" Colby asked.

"He's one of the fugitives on your ten most wanted list." Rachel said. "He assaulted her last night. I've got roadblocks going…"

"Hold on, how do you know he did it?" Don asked.

"She told me." Rachel said looking back at them as they walked.

"We were told she was dead." Colby said.

"No, the guy that found her was afraid to touch her, thought she was dead. She was just unconscious." Rachel said.

"Okay, where is he?" Colby asked her as they walked.

"Uh, local PD." She said nodding behind them.

"All right." Don said as he nodded to Colby to walk back to talk to the man. "This is her up here?"

"Yeah." Rachel said. "Josephine Kirtland."

"Hi, Josephine." Don said looking down at her. She was strapped to a stretcher as paramedics prepared to load her up and take her to the hospital. "Can you tell me who did this to you?"

"The Prophet." The young blonde said softly.

"Abner Stone." Rachel said for Don as his eyes flicked up to her.

"What about where it happened?" Don asked.

"Um, in the desert." The child said squinting because of the sun in her eyes. "They fell asleep and I ran away."

"Oh, yeah." Don said gently looking down at her. "Did you have to run for a long time?"

"All night." She said looking away from him.

"Where? On this road over here?" Don asked pointing.

"No…" She said looking about. "Though the mountain." She said.

"Where, up here?" Don asked pointing behind Rachel.

"I don't know." The traumatized girl said as she shut her eyes. The paramedics loaded her up.

"All right." Don nodded. "Okay, guys, thanks."

"This is where they found her." Rachel said watching Don as he rubbed his face watching the child a moment longer.

"Uh-huh. I mean, she couldn't have walked more than, what, ten miles at most." Don said as he joined her and they walked along the road a bit.

"I don't know, it's hard to say. She's a tough kid." Rachel said.

"What do you got on Stone?" Don asked.

"Apostolic Saints, fundamentalist polygamists." She said. "Abner Stone controls the families, properties, monies, and sex lives of his followers. If they defy him, they defy God. In which case, God, through Abner, orders removals."

"Removals?" Don asked her.

"Exile. Or death." She said flatly.

"Right." Don nodded.

"He's been hiding in Canada. He's back for a reason."

"Yeah, you know him pretty good?" Don asked watching her.

"Yeah, I've been tracking him for about twelve years now."

"What's going on with this little girl?" Don asked watching the ambulance take off.

"Most likely?" She looked at him. "His seventy-third wife." She said flatly.

Don just stared at her. He had one and she was enough to manage. How could any man want or need more than that? He sighed. This was going to be interesting.

NUMB3RS

Don met with AUSA Meeks as they went up to the bullpen together in the elevator of the FBI building. Espa was walking into the elevator. She smiled and gave a quick kiss her to her husband as they passed. She was in a hurry and he recognized it. He smiled and then turned back to Meeks knowing his wife had likely been talking to Assistant Director Hodges, her godfather. She often came in to listen to chatter for him if she had a few moments if he had something he wanted an opinion on it.

Meeks informed Don that Stone's church was under surveillance and that the church's money was frozen by the DOJ. US attorneys could never get anything out of the people because they were so secretive.

Don walked with him to the war room where Megan was reading some papers. Megan informed them about Abner Stone. He murdered his own brother to take control of the Apostolic Saints group. Most of them lived in a town known as Lewisburg and all local PD were members. They discussed the group "bleeding the beast." They want to catch Stone for rape and conspiracy to commit rape.

Don stuck Josephine's picture up. Number seventy-three of his wives.

NUMB3RS

Espa looked up as Rachel and Colby walked toward the room where the young girl had been brought in. Espa had been called after her class to come and talk with the young girl who had been attacked. She had made sure Lupe was able to watch the girls for Alan since he had meetings.

"Colby, you are working this case?" She asked. She smiled up at him.

"Yeah. Gotten anything out of her, yet?" Colby asked as he came before her his hands on his hips.

"No. They have been bandaging her up. They are just finishing up. I am supposed to be her advocate since she does not have a parent." She said.

"It is not surprising you have nothing out of her. She is confused." Rachel said. "It happens with rape victims."

"Espa has dealt with girls like this before Rachel. She's one of us." Colby said instantly defending his friend.

"Who are you?" Espa asked her eyes flicking between them.

"You work with the FBI?" Rachel asked. "I am Rachel Willons, California Bureau of Investigation." She held out her hand.

"Dr. Esperanza Urriolabetia-Eppes. I consult for the FBI." Espa said taking the hand.

"And she is married to Don, Rachel." Colby said with a smile. "She helps us out a lot."

"Dr. Eppes. You can see her now." The resident said coming out. "She is conscious and alert."

"Good." Espa said as she walked in followed by the other two. She walked to the girl's bedside. "Hey Josephine. I'm Espa. You know Rachel and this is my friend Colby. We want to find out what happened to you all right."

The girl nodded as she fretted with her hospital gown, clearly nervous. "He picked me up after school and took me to a motel." She said.

"He…the prophet?" Espa asked

"Yeah." She nodded.

She looked up at Rachel and then Espa as Colby took a step forward. "Was there anyone else there?" He asked

"Um…three men I…didn't know." The girl said.

Colby nodded. "Did you see any guns?"

The girl nodded and took a breath. "After he made me get married he told me to change clothes, so I climbed out the window. I didn't want to go home because he knows where we live so I went to a friend's house." The girl said looking at Rachel and then Espa. Espa laid a reassuring hand on her.

"We understand. Go on." Espa said gently.

"But he found me anyway, and took me to…a trailer in…in the desert." The girl said.

"Who is your friend?" Colby asked softly.

"Lee Brady." She said looking at Espa.

"Okay." Colby said. "We're going to want to talk to Lee, and do you remember about how long the drive was to the trailer?"

"Like, um…an hour, maybe." She said sighing

"Okay." Colby said. His eyes flicked to Espa who nodded as his phone rang. "Excuse me." He said softly. "This is Granger." He said stepping out.

"Josephine…" Rachel said softly as Espa gently stood by her. "Did Prophet Stone force you to have sex with him?"

Espa felt the girl take her hand softly and she looked up at Rachel. The girl did not answer and looked away from both of them. It was answer enough.

"I can look after her Rachel. You need to track the man down." Espa said breaking the minutes of silence. "Don can use all the help he can get."

Rachel nodded as she realized that Espa was getting the girl to open up more than she was.

NUMB3RS

Charlie and Amita were on their way to Stanford in Charlie's car. After Amita played some music that Charlie could not stand the phone rang.

Charlie put it on speaker. It was his brother needing help to find where a trailer was in the Mohave desert. Charlie pulled over and did some equations and found the approximate location that they were looking for.

Don thanked them and they went on their way again.

Don and Megan searched the grids that Charlie had given them. After about half an hour Don saw something. He spotted something and then had Megan go tighter on it. He found it and smiled. He was going to call Colby to go look into it and take the guy down if he was there.

NUMB3RS

Colby got a call as he paced outside the room. Espa was inside talking to her as Rachel listened at the door. He touched Rachel's arm and nodded to her to follow him. He nodded to Espa that they were going. She nodded and looked back to the girl.

"All right, great, I'm on my way." Colby said as he walked. "Oh, and listen Don, the girl said the bodyguards are armed, all right." He clapped his phone shut. "They found Abner Stone's hideout." He said to Rachel.

"I'll ride with you." She said following him.

A young woman was at the desk. "I'm looking for my daughter, Josephine Kirtland." She said softly to the receptionist.

Rachel paused hearing the name. "Excuse me, Emmanueline Kirtland?" She asked walking to the woman. The woman looked at her in surprise. "I'm Rachel Willons, California Bureau of Investigation. I'll take you to your daughter." She said gently. "Thank you." She said nodding to the receptionist. She looked at Colby who was waiting at the door. "I'll catch up with you."

He nodded.

"Is she all right?" Emmanueline asked.

"She's a little beat up, but she'll be okay." Rachel said as she led her toward the room through the doors. "This way. You live in Lewisburg, Emmanuline?"

"No, my husband moved us out three years ago. We live in Bakersfield now."

"Well, but you're still Apostolic Saints? You still believe in Prophet Stone?" Rachel asked. The woman ignored the question and rubbed her nose as she looked down. "Where is your husband?"

"He was killed last year."

"I see." Rachel nodded. "Did you know Prophet Stone wanted Josephine for a wife?"

"That's why were exiled from Lewisburg. My husband didn't want Josephine to marry Abner. The Prophet had his eye on her for a while."

"But now your husband's gone, and Abner came to talk to you about Josephine?" Rachel said. The woman nodded. Rachel paused in the hall. "Did you send her to that motel?"

Josephine's voice reached them from the room she was in with Espa at her bedside helping have some ice chips as they talked about Espa's pregnancy and children. "Mom." She set the pictures she held down on her lap.

The woman walked in and stood stunned looking at her daughter in her hospital gown and bandages. She looked at Rachel. "I didn't know he would beat her."

"But you were willing to let her marry him." Rachel said.

Emmanueline shook her head a moment.

"Oh, my God." Josephine said sitting up from her pillow. "You told him where to find me?"

Espa gently touched her shoulder. "Easy." She said softly.

Emmanuline stepped forward. "It's an honor to be the Prophet's wife." She said. She laid a hand on the foot of the bed.

Espa looked at the woman and shook her head sadly.

Josephine looked at her mother half angry and half shocked. "He raped me." She said lowly. Josephine looked about unsure how to handle that.

NUMB3RS

Colby was sent out to the trailer that was found. They had SWAT there and opened the door. A gun went off and they all stood ready, but Colby who was in charge looked in and saw it was a booty-trap and that it was clear to proceed.

Rachel came out and joined Colby as they looked around the trailer. They had been there, but left in a hurry. They found cord in the bedroom where the beating must have taken place.

Rachel found a piece of paper in the trash of symbols over an area. They had no idea what to make of it.

NUMB3RS

Charlie and Amita decided to turn around to help Don and then continue for the lectures in the morning. Amita offered to drive through the night so he could rest. He was not to keen on her music and they both laughed about it.

NUMB3RS

Rachel walked into the ward where Josephine was. Emmanueline was at the machine made coffee station waiting for her coffee to pour so she could drink it.

"Emmanueline, does this mean anything to you?" She asked holding up the paper.

Emmanueline shook her head and reached for the coffee.

"Why did you tell Abner Stone how to find Josephine after she ran away?" Rachel asked.

"Since we've been in Bakersfield, she's known too much of the world."

"She's fourteen and you gave her to a man in his forties." Rachel said as she saw Espa coming toward them. "Hey." She nodded.

"Hi." Espa nodded. "I was hoping you would get back before I had to go meet with Don."

"I was trying to save her eternal soul." Emmanueline said. She looked at Rachel and sighed.

"How did he get in touch with you?" Rachel asked.

"Came to the house." Emmanueline said. "He knows where all his believers are."

"With three men?" Rachel pushed. Emmanueline nodded. "What were they driving?"

"It was a big, silver…" Emmanueline started and sighed. "It was big."

"An SUV?" Espa asked her.

"I don't know what you call it…it was like a truck, but closed up." Emmanueline said.

"Okay, where were they headed?" Rachel said.

"The new city, I guess." Emmanueline said. "He needs her 'cause she's pure breed."

"Pure breed?" Espa asked.

"And what does that mean?" Rachel asked.

"Well, the Kirtlands go back to Indiana, before Abner's grandfather came out west. We're from the original line of Apostolic Saints." Emmanueline explained. They rounded a corner and Emmanueline saw her daughter talking on the phone. "NO!" She cried running in. Espa and Rachel followed. She ripped the phone from the girl and slammed it down.

"Stop it. You can't control me." Josephine hissed.

"You will not talk to that boy." She said and took her daughter's shoulders and shook her.

"Hey, hey, wait a minute." Rachel said pulling her off as Espa moved in to soothe the girl.

"I can talk to whoever I want. I'm not like you." The girl said definitely.

"Do you want to go to hell? Is that what you want?" Emmanueline asked daughter nearly screaming. "And you…you let her call?" She asked rounding on Espa.

"Listen, you have to calm down or I can take her from your custody. Do you understand me?" Rachel asked.

Emmanueline suddenly became quiet.

"Who were you talking to, Josephine?" Rachel asked.

"That boy, Lee Brady." Emmanueline said. "I forbid you…" She shook her finger at the girl.

"I don't have to listen to you." Josephine said. "You handed me over to get raped." Espa gently tried to calm her as Rachel started to drag her mother from the room.

"Josephine, it's a spiritual marriage. He's God's chosen." Emmanueline protested.

"You're insane." The girl spat. Josephine rolled into Espa's arms as she tried to hush the upset teen as Rachel talked with the mother outside the room. Espa cooed to her as she started to sob.

"Emmanueline, listen to me. Please let me take you to talk to someone to help you…women who have been plural wives who have gotten out it."

Emmanueline shook her head. "God has given me signs."

"What signs?"

"The Prophet is taking us back. We're coming home from exile. And the price of admission is Josephine? I know that you are scared because this is the only life that you have known, but there is another way, a better way to lead a spiritual life."

"Temptation comes in many guises." Emmanueline said looking from Rachel to Espa as she came to the door since Josephine had cried herself into and exhausted sleep. "I'll be back in the morning for my child." She said and quickly left.

Rachel sighed and Espa walked to her. "This is a mess." She whispered to Rachel.

Rachel just nodded.

NUMB3RS

Charlie and Amita met with Colby to discuss the paper that Rachel had found. Colby had a copy of ir that they could look at. He also showed them a quilt with the same letters and x marks.

Colby showed them a money jar. The man was a millionaire and yet he wanted his followers to collected pennies to fund him. Clearly they did not know his assets. Charlie can not believe it. Another group into purity. Everyone seems obsessed with the concept.

Amita gets Charlie to blow off the conference and help the FBI find this man whose patterns in quilts and papers are very important to him and his followers.

NUMB3RS

Rachel went and reported to Megan and Meeks about Stone in a silver SUV, but that is not totally clear because the woman has no idea what an SUV is. They have roadblocks up and Megan thinks they still may be in the area.

Rachel told them that his believers revere him and they are all practiced liars to keep the government from sniffing out information. One would think he was too smart to be hiding with his follows, but Megan knows his personality needs to be revered to function. He also is a sex predator looking for prey.

Meeks suggests finding every Apostolic Saint in the LA area to interview them and try to find out more information. There are fifty to sixty so that will take time. Megan has Rachel use Don's work station since he took part of the night off to be with his wife and to celebrate the baby pictures that she had taken.

NUMB3RS

Don looked across the table at his wife. Finally, that had had time together. He reached for her hand. She jumped a little and looked at him. "Hey. You seem a little preoccupied sweetheart. Everything okay? I mean you haven's spoken since we looked at the ultrasounds." It was one of the few times that he had been able to sneak away for dinner with her. It was clear her mind was on other things. Not that he blamed her. She had a lot on her plate these days. Full time faculty, full time mom, part time consultant to the FBI, and full time wife. And if she had some spare time, which he wondered if there ever was, she volunteered for as a rape and exploited kids advocate. It was a lot even not pregnant, and the fact she was made him leery to let her just do it all. Were there enough hours in the day to manage?

She smiled a little and then looked down at her plate of penne gorgonzola. "Sorry. I was thinking about that girl and I was thinking about being chair of three combined departments. Big shoes to fill."

"Come on now. You will be great." He said taking a bit of his Tuscan Steak.

"I hope so." She smiled at him. "I do not feel I am ready and I am the youngest chair in history." She sighed. "Not that I really want to bore you with that." She reached across the table. "Does the girl have family outside the cult?" She asked touching his cheek.

"Her mother is all. Her father passed away."

"I see." She said. She took a bite and then sat back. She touched her belly. It was starting to swell as the baby within her grew. "So the cult is all she has known?"

"Well, according to Megan and Rachel she has a boyfriend." He said looking up. "What did she tell you?"

"She is angry." She said. She sighed and smiled a little. "I am not great company this evening."

"Hey. I understand." He said softly watching her as he pushed a lock of her long hair back. He then rubbed his hand through his own. "I need to cut my hair." He said.

"Why?" She asked looking up. "I like it."

"It is starting to curl." He said looking up at it.

"So…you will look a lot like Charlie." She giggled. "So cute and adorable."

"He is a curly haired black hole." He said. "And I am not him. I am a federal agent. I do not want to be cute and adorable. I need to be professional."

"Professionalism doesn't mean you can't be cute and curly haired." She smiled at him. "Besides if you cut your hair, I will cut mine."

"You wouldn't dare." He said looking at her. "Your hair is so lovely."

"It's heavy." She said. "I can give it to help kids." She smiled.

He shook his head. "Well maybe a couple inches…"

"To the shoulder." She said.

He scoffed and touched her hair and flicked a lock back.

They boxed up their leftovers and went to the car. Don was not sure what to make of his wife's daring statement that she would cut her hair if he did. He was aware that she had not taken it well when Charlie had cut his hair a couple of days ago.

He sighed as they drove through downtown. "You think Dad would mind if we just left the kids there and then went home to a night of…"

"Donnie…" She smiled at him. "As appealing as that is, he has a career now too." She smiled and patted his thigh and he took her hand gently. "I love you, but I am already pregnant." She smiled at his feigned look of innocence at that.

"I just wanted to have time with you. I hardly get any time alone with you these days. I have to steal time." He said. He was right. Espa had been helping her godfather on an NSA case as well as helping on Don's.

"And what a handsome thief you are." She smiled. He chuckled as they drove to Pasadena to get the girls. He was content with his family and having Espa and Zephyr and Annie to come home to was wonderful. Lupe was with them and she had only a couple more weeks with them. Family had always been tight with Don and he had melded the two groups he cared for.

NUMB3RS

Charlie and Amita walked into the Eppes family home and found the new department chair for Charlie and Amita's department sitting drinking wine together in the front room. Mildred, or Millie as she liked to be called was tipsy.

Alan was surprised they were back because of the conference. He was just getting up to open another bottle of wine when they had come in

Charlie explained they had work to do, but Amita got interested in something on the table Millie had brought with her. Alan points out that the whole string theory work is going back to the sixties when they felt vibrations.

Charlie is shocked that his dad is having fun and fairly intoxicated like Millie. Amita hugged him before they walked to the garage to start work.

NUMB3RS

Megan found there were seven men, twenty-three women, and thirty kids who are members or ex-members of the Apostolic Saints. Rachel said they had seven families to look into because of the seven men.

Meeks wanted agents to sit on the locations until they could get there.

Espa came into the bullpen on the phone. She looked at Megan and Rachel. She told them it was Josephine. She had left the hospital and come home. She had found blood and was panicked. She had skipped with her boyfriend and found her mother missing and she thought Abner took her.

Rachel looked at Espa and nodded as they moved to go get them after telling the girl to stay put at the home.

Espa returned home knowing the two women would have it under control.

NUMB3RS

The two kids were brought in to be interviewed. Megan interviewed Josephine and asked why she thought Stone took her. The girl pointed out he was the only one because she would follow him because she was a zombie really. She blindly followed him.

Rachel had the boy, Lee Brady, in another room. He was a younger male member of the Apostolic Saints who had been kicked out so the older men could have all the women. He had a receipt to prove where they had been as the FBI looked at the house. He was nervous, but claimed their innocence in the mother's disappearance.

NUMB3RS

Charlie and Amita were working on the chart that they had on the blanket. Millie walked in from in the house and looked at it. She wondered why they were looking into cattle breeding. Charlie realized it was Stone's genealogy. He was so inbreed that he could not have many offspring. Hence he needed Josephine because she was far enough away from it.

They also realize that Josephine has to have a sister and that is whom Stone is after next and that Emmanueline can most likely tell Stone who she is.

NUMB3RS

Megan talked with Charlie and then talked with Josephine at the FBI office. Josephine told her that she had a bunch of sisters. All were half sisters in Lewisburg who had stayed there.

Rachel pointed out that Josephine could have a sister that the girl had not idea about. Megan feels sorry for them because they just wanted to run away and be happy together. Women are supposed to have a kid a year and they breed whomever they are told to in order to have that happen.

Stone's finger prints were all over the house. Rachel told them the men would find someone younger than Josephine if they had to because they would marry girls as young as nine.

Megan decided to call the seven families to get information.

NUMB3RS

Amita was working it out and found that Josephine and Emmanueline had the same father. They were half sisters. That was why Stone took her. She was the sister he was after.

On a back road a patrol car spotted a silver SUV. When it was pulled over the patrolman was shot and the SUV drove away leaving the man to bleed to death at the side of the road from a shotgun wound.

NUMB3RS

Don and Rachel were sitting in the war room the next morning looking at the video from the patrol car. Espa was behind them drinking herbal tea. She was there to help out Josephine since she had no legal guardian right now. She had been on the phone much of the morning looking for social workers.

"His megalomania is increasing." Rachel said. Don rubbed his hands on his face. "He's becoming more dangerous. But he's gonna make mistakes, he's gonna make mistakes."

"He never attacked anyone outside the cult?" Don asked as he leaned back in the chair and folded his hands behind his head.

"No, he's definitely becoming disinhibited…but let me tell you, Abner's always been on this path." Rachel said scoffing a little.

Espa sighed. "He seems hell bent to have his way or die trying."

"Yeah." Rachel agreed.

"How do you know him?" Don asked sitting up and turning to look at her.

"I grew up with him." Rachel said. "I was married to an ASC elder when I was thirteen and the old man was in his sixties." Don shook his head looking at his wife a moment before looking back at Rachel as they both listened to her. "I got out when he died…I was nineteen."

"I'm sorry." Don said.

"Oh, I'm not." Rachel said.

"Six years." Espa said softly. "Six years of hell."

"I'm sorry for Emmanueline. You know, the cult is bad enough. They raise girls for breeding…that's it." Don shook his head and gently touched his wife's belly. He was determined his daughters would never know about such things. "There's no skills, no education, and the threat of eternal damnation if they rebel. But Emmanueline, she's in the hands of a psychopath."

"Hold on a second, let me ask you this…" Don said raising up to follow her out. "What do you think he's gonna do next? I mean, try and get through roadblocks into Canada or…"

"Well, that would be rational, but I think he wants a showdown." Rachel said. "And that we have to be afraid of."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Abner came to get a Kirtland girl…okay, maybe. But you know what I think? I think that he's afraid of losing control of Lewisburg, being on the fringes." She said going into the break room to get herself some coffee.

"You think he's really go back there? I mean, he's got to know we're all over the place."

She sighed. "I don't know." She shrugged. She walked out leaving Don to watch her go.

Espa touched his neck softly. "She is worried." She said.

"Yeah, and this is personal for her." Don said looking over his shoulder at his caring, understanding wife. She was motherly and nesty when she was pregnant and that was good for the kids. She seemed to understand people more.

"Yeah, but she understands what is at stake. Let her do her job." She said.

He sighed. "You're right. How are you doing? You are on your feet more than you should be."

"Oh, don't start…" She sighed. "I was just getting ready to go check on the kids."

"Do that." He said. "I will be in the war room if you need me."

NUMB3RS

Charlie and Colby were working on aerial pictures of rural California near LA. Megan was coming in with food for the kids. She found out nothing from the families she talked to.

Charlie asked her if anyone had told her about her sister. Megan was getting ready to tell her. She was waiting until Espa was there since the girl trusted Don's wife more than anyone else.

Megan brought the food to Josephine, Lee, and Espa. Megan told Josephine they were looking for her mother everywhere. There was something else. Megan looked at Espa and then back and then asked if she knew if Emmanueline was her sister. Josephine was shocked and had no idea.

NUMB3RS

Meeks talked to an elder of the Apostolic Saints that he brought in. The man was very little help. He was covering for Stone and everyone knew it. Meeks accused him of having more than one wife and asked how many were underage when he first had sex with him.

Don interrupted telling him that they found the SUV. Three other cars were stolen. Don had APBs out on them. He also had the MP3 player. They now knew what podcasts he made.

Charlie was listening to them showed Don and Meeks where the site was and how to get into it. Charlie listens and tries to find where Stone is because he can track him in real time.

NUMB3RS

Colby went out with Rachel to a small farm house at the end of a dirt road where Stone podcast the last August.

Charlie listened to the podcasts and then heard Stone tell his followers where to meet him at the New City where they could live free and happy. He told his brother and Don went to go to the address.

Colby and his team looked about the area. Rachel was near the house. Gunfire erupted from the house. Rachel was shot in the shoulder and crawled for safety behind a rock to hide as she fired back. Colby shot and cried out to her. It was an ambush.

Colby called for a medic and backup ASAP.

Don arrived in his SUV within half and hour. He was ready with SWAT and took over the lead. He looked at the area as he asked Colby about himself and Rachel. Both were pinned and Rachel was in the kill zone.

NUMB3RS

"What has happened to religious freedom in this country?" Stone asked as he paced in the house speaking into a phone to the media. "We are a private, peace-loving group of Christians, attacked again by an overreaching and paranoid government. We're forced to defend ourselves _and_ our beliefs."

Espa beckoned Megan over. "Megan…Stone is talking to the media." She said.

Megan looked up and then shook her head. "Thanks." She said.

"We live according to the laws of God's word…Deuteronomy 21-15 – 'To the nation of the unclean…" Stone continued.

Megan dialed on her phone as Espa saw Lee and Josephine out of the room. "What are you doing here? Go back." She said softly to them.

"Is my mom in there?" She asked.

"'…I defy you.'" Stone continued in the background.

"Uh, I don't know." Megan said. Her eyes flicked to Espa who shrugged a little and looked back. "You guys are supposed to be waiting inside for the social worker." She said. She then talked to the phone. "Listen, I have Abner Stone on his cell phone from inside the farmhouse, talking to the media. I need that line cut off."

"'I will demolish your high places.' Stone rattled on.

"If I hadn't run away, none of this would've happened." Josephine said sadly.

Megan clicked her phone closed. "Hey. Listen to me this is not your fault." She said as she watched Lee put a reassuring arm around the girl. "That man is sick, and you are not responsible for any of this."

"Listen to her Josephine." Espa said gently. "She is right. This is not your fault and you know it."

"'I will lay waste to your cities, so your very enemies who come to live there will stand aghast at the sight of it.'" Stone continued.

NUMB3RS

Don made ready. He got behind to shields and moved to get Colby. Colby jumped behind when they reached him under cover fire. Bullets from automatic weapons hit the shield, but just bounced off. Don then moved the group to go get Rachel who lay on the ground. Colby put his arm about her and half carried, half walked her back as Don walked his shield unit back step by step.

Back by the vehicles Rachel got medical attention as Don spoke on his PA system to Stone. He was going to run a phone line out to talk to Stone and negotiate, but it was met by gunfire and so Don had then pull back.

Rachel argued with Don. She knew what Stone was capable of and did not want it to happen. Don ordered her to go get medical help, but she refused. She wanted to get this man like she had wanted all her life. Don looked at her and then yielded understanding her.

A shot was heard from within. Rachel told them he was shooting people who wanted to leave.

Don had people ready to move in. He waited a moment waiting for Colby to give him a report. He and his group crept closer, but halted as a door opened. Abner Stone came out using Emmanueline Kirtland as a shield holding a Bible high as he cried out to his people still inside.

Colby cried out that there was a gas tank and so everyone jumped back. The farmhouse exploded knocking Stone and Emmanueline forward, but they did not fall. Don was shocked, but recovered quickly.

He ran forward and handcuffed Stone a little harsher than he normally would because of his anger at the man for killing all the men and women within.

Emmanueline was grabbed by Rachel. She was very sorry and Rachel understood as they both went to the ambulance to be checked out.

At the FBI office Espa had seen Josephine and Lee to the social worker and had come back into the bullpen as the house exploded. She gasped and dropped her head knowing that many had died. It made her ill inside.

Megan looked at her and sighed. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"I have been better." Espa sighed and looked away. "Tell my husband that I am at Charlie's house."

"Are you okay to drive?"

"Yeah." Espa half smiled. "I just need to be home with my babies."

"All right. Good night."

"Night Megan." Espa said as she turned and went. It would be a while to get home in rush hour traffic. It would give her time to think and relax.

NUMB3RS

Lupe walked into the garage. It was dark and nearly dinner time, but Charlie was out working. She needed to talk to him. She saw him there writing on the chalkboards. "Charlie?" She asked coming into the light where he was working on his Cognitive Emergence Theory.

Charlie looked up. "Yeah Lupe?" He asked looking over at the lanky female teenager. She wore a school sweatshirt and jeans as she dropped onto the couch.

"I need to talk to someone."

"Don't you and Don talk a lot?"

"Yeah…but…he might kill the guy."

Charlie set down his chalk. Don had just been talking to him and he knew his brother was in the house, but the girl wanted his advice. He was not sure whether to be thrilled of nervous that the young woman needed his help. "Why would he kill a guy?"

"I, uh, did something stupid." She said.

"I see. What Lupe?"

"I, uh, slept-with-the-quarter-back-cause-he-is-super-cute-and-I-am-kinda-upset-about-it-now." She said super fast and without a breath.

Charlie looked at her. "You mean you…with this guy?"

"Yeah."

Don had not left the garage. He had been in the other room because Alan had asked him to put in a load of laundry. He listened in the semi-darkness. His sister had lost her virginity to a jock? She was just a kid. Hell, he was a jock and had lost his at seventeen…

She was treating it like it was consensual, which was good, but that still did not mean the jock would suffer less. He stole her virginity from her because she had been told it would be cool. She, however, could not give consent at her age.

Lupe sighed. "It was stupid. He doesn't even like me. How can I tell Don?"

"I think you need to tell him. He will find out otherwise and be mad." Charlie said walking to her.

"He's right." Don said walking from the washer to where they were. Both were startled as Don, who was wearing black, materialized from the shadows. "Who was he Lupe?" He asked crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against Charlie's desk.

"That may not be the best way to…" Charlie started, but Don's cold gaze shut him up and he went back to the chalkboard.

"I, uh…" Lupe swallowed and looked down. Even in the low light Don could see her skin was flushed with embarrassment.

"Lupe…sweetheart. Remember no secrets." He said. He dropped down before her and gently touched her knees as she sat there. "Who did this?"

"Why? It's not like he raped me. It was my own fault." She said.

"How old is he?"

"Eighteen." She said. "He is the high school quarter-back. He is nice enough." She said looking up at him.

Don gently pushed back a lock from her face of her dark hair. "He is an adult and you are not. You can not do that by choice at your age." He touched her face. "You don't need to be embarrassed sweetheart." He smiled a little. "You are not a consenting adult Lupe. It is rape. Statutory rape of a minor. Not to mention you could have gotten an STD or pregnant…"

"But I said yes." She said her voice full of regret. "I do not want those…"

"Yes, but you are a kid." He smiled reassuringly. "You seem okay, but I will have you checked out anyway, huh." He sighed softly. "What is his name?"

"Ashlei Gordon. Please…don't hurt him." Lupe said.

"Oh don't worry. I won't hurt him." Don said softly. "He might wish I did. I will have him arrested. Will you testify?" He asked.

"I do not want him to loose his football." She squeaked.

"Honey, someone has to stop him from praying on defenseless little girls." Don said gently. "Come on, lets get some hot cocoa and I will have you talk to me more about it okay." Don said gently. Far more gently than he felt. Really he felt like flying to Boise and shooting the kid, but that would be harsh. He had been a teenage raging hormone once, and it was not until he met Espa that he had settled down with one woman.

He watched Lupe go into the kitchen of the house and he looked back at his brother who was watching him. "You're going to get that rapist aren't you?" Charlie asked. Don had never heard such a harsh tone from his brother.

"Yeah, I will track him down, but why are you so…"

"Emotional? My sister-in-law was tricked into sex, by a handsome jock who had no interest in her. He should learn consequences."

"Yeah. He will." Don said and went to follow Lupe into the house to talk about what had happened. He was going to record her and use it as leverage to arrest the kid who had raped once and would rape again until he was caught and punished, as all serial rapists did.

NUMB3RS

After Don and Lupe had had a good long chat after several cokes and some shed tears, they both came down to the smell of Espa's cooking, Alan seated in the front room looking at a blanket, Charlie in a chair, and the girl's playing with a tea set on the ground at Alan's feet.

"You know, map blankets were part of the Underground Railroad." Alan said as they came in.

"Really?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah." Alan nodded. "They stitched escape route, so the escaping slaves could find safe houses."

Lupe smiled and came to lean against the chair. "They were also used during the French Revolution to send messages and give away who needed to die."

"Wow, I didn't know that." Charlie said as he looked up from his keyboard.

"Yeah, well, it worked well in those cases, but, uh, why in the world would this, uh…"

"Hard to call him a man isn't it?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, it's hard to call him a man." Alan agreed. "Why would this jerk put his genealogy on the blanket?"

"Trying to rewrite history, I guess. Cover up his genetic inadequacy." Charlie said as Lupe dropped to play with the girls while Don went to check on his wife and the food.

"These poor people. They were looking for God and all they did was find this…monster." Alan said. He looked over at Charlie who was reading on his laptop. "What are you doing?"

"Just chatting with Professor Pivito here. You know, he's still at that math conference, and he said it really isn't all that exciting." Charlie said.

"Oh, really." Alan said feigning shock. He chuckled.

Lupe smiled as she took tea and faked she was sipping from the cup.

"You mock me, but you know, occasionally these things can be…"

Don came back in and smiled as he held his beer.

"Hey, Donnie." Alan smiled.

"Hey." Don said.

"Come, sit with us." Alan said.

"All right." Don said as he moved it sit down near Alan. He sighed as she let his head roll back. "Hey, what's up?" He asked his brother.

"You look beat." Alan observed.

"A lot of people died today, Dad." Charlie said softly.

"Yeah." Alan said shifting to look at his elder son. "But you…you saved this woman and this child." He got up and stood a moment. "That's something, isn't it?"

"I don't think…I don't think it ever feels like enough." Charlie said.

"Well, you can't save the world, Charlie." Alan said.

Don sighed and rose to his feet again. "What's the score of the game?" He asked.

"I don't know. You've got to put it on." Alan answered as Don walked to the cabinet and opened it. He chuckled.

"Where's the remote?" Don asked looking about.

"Don't ask me." Alan shrugged.

"Where's the remote?" He asked the three on the floor.

They shrugged at him.

"Where's the remote, Charlie?" Alan asked.

"I have no clue." Charlie said not looking up from his chat.

"Well…" Alan lifted a remote.

"That's not it." Don said taking a sip of his beer. "Charlie, where's the other remote?" He asked his brother. He moved his finger like a clicked and his brother ignored him.

Annie crawled to the fireplace and reached under the metal holder holding several logs. She smiled and lifted it to her father. He smiled and hugged her to his leg before dropping down to the ground.

The smells were great from the kitchen and they could hear Espa walking in and out as she brought things out. Don settled and let Lupe rest her head on his stretched out leg and the girls climbed on him and snuggled down.

To Alan it was a priceless picture.


	38. Spree  pt 1

**Spree**

17

Days

11

Robberies 

8

States 

2

Lovers

Don Eppes lay sprawled out on his back on the master bedroom bed in his new flat. The flat was larger than anything he had ever lived in before. They did own the two story apartment instead of renting for the first time in either of their lives.

He smiled. Charlie had been upset to see them go, but knew that Don's family was running out of room at the Eppes family home. Besides, he knew Don and Espa well enough to know they would be over often enough with his two nieces and with another on the way...

He stared up at the ceiling as he sighed. Another sunny day in LA. He took a breath. Annie was remarkably good at sleeping through the night. He had never had to wake to feed her a bottle. Today was his day off and he planned to relax with his family for the first time in…

He heard his phone go off and Espa stirred beside him. So much for his day off. She was on her stomach as she often was. Soon she would be too pregnant to sleep so, but for now she rested best that way. She was no doubt tired from the night of lovemaking and snuggling they had done. He smiled. He felt more rested than he had in months.

"Eppes." Don said looking at his watch and rubbing his eyes. "Yeah. I will be there as soon as I can. No it is no problem." It was his day off, but he knew there was no rest for the wicked in his line of work.

Don sat up and playfully slapped Espa's bottom where one cheek was visible out of the sheet. He smiled as she woke and glared at him. "What the hell…"

"Morning sweetheart." He grinned and threw back the sheet to dress.

NUMB3RS

Don was sent to a small restaurant just into the California state line. A red mustang with 'just married' on it was outside. Three people were injured with gunshot wounds. Robbery it seems, but very little money. Don suspected they took another car.

Megan found a poem written on the freeze door. 'Our love is like a flower, it grows every hour.' Don can not believe it.

Ian Edgerton speaks bringing them out of the reverie and comments at least it rhymed this time. All welcomed the sniper instructor back into LA territory. Buck eats burritos frozen. At the teams confusion Edgerton explains the two are Buck Winters and Crystal Hoyle. He has been tracking them across the western United States.

They returned to the LA FBI office. Edgerton told them that there were eleven hits in seventeen days, violent, but small time. Them moving across state lines makes it the FBI's problem.

Crystal was a teacher. Winters was in her twentieth century Europe class. The father apparently had some feeling about it, but wound up dead with a whole magazine in his chest.

Megan reasons that because they are lovers there is a strong sexual component as well. The group meets in the war room. A large career change from teacher to spree killer. Edgerton brings her Juvie record that was sealed so the Texas school board did not know about it. It was for drug possession.

Edgerton things she is making her way back to LA. He has not been able to get ahead of them or catch them, but he thinks they are coming back for a reason. Don sends the teams to look at the overnight reports for anything like them and then he and Edgerton head to Cal-Sci to meet with Charlie.

NUMB3RS

Espa smiled as Charlie carried in a cinder block and board. Larry had a sledge hammer. She followed them into Charlie's office her hand on her back. She was already waddling a little and she sighed.

She saw a table with many nails sticking up. "Wait…this was how my physics teacher freaked us out the first day of college. I left the class the next day." She said. She looked at Larry accusingly.

He smiled. "Hey, I am just proving it to Charles." He put on his safety goggles.

Charlie got on the table and laid down on the spikes. Larry put the board and block on his abdomen.

Espa looked at them as Charlie put on his own safety goggles. "Are you sure Charlie?"

"Of course." Charlie smiled at her. "Don't worry Espa."

She took a breath and moved to the side as she pulled on a set of goggles herself. She watched Larry drop the hammer down for a practice placement. He lifted it back and then took a deep breath and started to drop the hammer with full force. Espa took a breath and curled back against her seat as she bit her lip.

"Hey, Charlie…whoa! Whoa!" Don gasped as he walked into the room his hands out. Behind him came Ian Edgerton who was just as stunned by the scene before him.

"No, no. This isn't what it looks like." Charlie said.

"Well that's a relief because it looks like your friend is about to perforate you." Edgerton said.

"Ian…good to see you." Espa smiled taking a breath as she levered herself up a hand on the swell of her belly and one on the chair she was in. He smiled and offered her his hand.

"Good to see you too, Idaho Girl." He helped her straighten and then looked her up and down his dark gaze missing nothing as usual. "All of you." He smiled. He eyed Don. "I believe congratulations are in order Eppes." He liked Espa. She was an outdoors kinda girl and she did not take crap from anyone. She was one of the few women he would let get his back if it was needed, though at the moment he was not about to let her go anywhere in the field with her belly under her chin.

Don beamed. "Yeah, I can keep up with her now." He smirked. "Maybe there is something to that thing in Idaho of having your wife barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen all day. Having two kids doesn't slow her down at all…"

Espa shot him a look and then looked back at Edgerton's handsome face. "Bite me Donnie." She hissed out of the side of her mouth. "Why do I always feel like an ant under a microscope when you do that?" She asked.

"Where honey?" Don smiled without missing a beat as he grinned good naturedly at her. She just rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him.

Edgerton just smiled and looked her up and down again before he eyed what was going on before them. He did not like the look of the man he had come to see on a bed of nails with a cinder block on his stomach and another man standing over him with a sledge hammer.

"Gentlemen…" Larry said bringing them back to Charlie on the bed of nails and the professor of physics holding a sledge hammer over him. "Professor Eppes is protected by the most impenetrable armor of all, physics."

"That's right." Charlie said. "My weight is distributed amongst the spikes at an even 1.7 pounds each. With the kinetic energy of the hammer…"

"Charles, I think the drama of demonstration would be most instructive here." Larry said as Don and Edgerton looked about them and Charlie.

"Wait, wait. Hold, hold on." Don protested lifting his hands.

"I think you are right." Charlie said

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, let me just…" Don looked from one to the other.

Larry lifted the hammer and grunted as he swung down shattering the brick on Charlie. Edgerton had quickly jumped back protectively putting himself between Espa and the flying bits of plaster. Don covered his face as he too jumped back, but he was thinking more about his brother at that moment than his wife. His wife had the good sense to stay out of the whole mess, though she was going to watch…

Don had jumped back as well blinking he looked at Charlie as Charlie grunted and moved to get up. "You all right?"

"Yeah." Charlie nodded as he chuckled and maneuvered out from under the mess.

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on, hold on, hold on." Don said moving to lift the remainder of the brick and board from his brother's body.

Charlie grunted and swung to his feet coughing a little, but otherwise unharmed. Espa gently stepped forward and touched his cheek. "Are you all right?" She asked concerned.

"Yeah. I'm…" He coughed a little getting his wind back. "…fine."

Don looked unconvinced as he watched his brother.

Edgerton touched one of the spikes and noted how sharp it was. "If you don't mind my asking, what exactly does all that accomplish?" He asked watching Espa as she removed her goggles and looked Charlie over.

"The unwavering attention of my Faith and Physics classes." Larry smiled as he set the hammer down. "Hello." He said offering a hand to Edgerton.

"Dr. Larry Fleinhardt. _This_ is Agent Ian Edgerton." Charlie said introducing them.

"My pleasure." Larry said taking the firm hand of the taller agent.

"Good to meet you." Edgerton smiled.

"He's got a couple of killers on the run." Don said walking to his brother's side. "He thinks they might be headed to LA."

Espa moved and dropped back into the chair. Edgerton smiled at her. "Or already here." He passed a folder to Charlie. "I remember how that voodoo of yours helped to tighten the search grid the last time around."

"Voodoo?" Larry scoffed.

Espa chuckled and sat forward her face in her hands.

"In spite of my invaluable assistance, on two instances mind you, Agent Edgerton maintains some skepticism about the analytical approach to man hunting." Charlie said. Edgerton smiled at him. Don just rolled his eyes.

"And yet, here you are." Larry said.

"The instinct part of me says not to miss any bets." Edgerton smiled.

"Well, hey. Let's hope we can come up with something a little more substantive than instinct." Charlie said lying out a map of the United States before him. He knelt down. "All right, these dots, representing…?"

"Black are confirmed sightings, red are robberies, yellow are killings." Edgerton said pointing them out as he came over. Espa looked over his shoulder.

"They're hitting like every day or two, then they fall off the grid, they show up a couple hundred miles away." Don said looking down. Charlie looked up at him.

"I can tell you what they eat, what they drink, what car they'll steal what I can't do is tell you what they'll do next." Edgerton said folding his arms on his chest. He made room for Espa to look at the map unobstructed.

"Right. We got amateurs, you know." Don said. "I mean, for us, it's easier to find pros."

Charlie nodded. He looked at the map. Espa recognized the look of concentration. He lifted his finger. "Did you forget to mark a point here?" He asked pointing to southern Wyoming.

"No." Edgerton said. He arched an eyebrow.

"No?" Charlie asked.

"No." Edgerton confirmed. "We had no sightings anywhere in Wyoming."

"Okay." Charlie nodded. He rose to his feet.

"Did you see some sort of pattern here?" Larry asked. "A Langevin-like equation maybe, or…"

"I just thought that there should be a point there." Charlie said.

"What, you got a hunch?" Don asked. His eyes flicked to his wife who had become quiet watching the men work. She was thoughtfully standing with a hand on her abdomen. She walked to him and offered a small smile.

"I don't…I don't _have _hunches." Charlie said moving behind Don. "You know, when I hypothesize, is really what it is, it's an intuitive synthesis of established mathematical principles and theorems." Charlie shrugged.

"Knowledge plus a guess…where I come from, that's a hunch." Edgerton shrugged, smiling a little.

Charlie nodded.

NUMB3RS

Espa had insisted that Edgerton come and stay with them. He dragged his feet at first, not sure how Don would take having him about, but finally he yielded. Espa made up the guest room up for him since Lupe had gone home again.

Edgerton fell in love with the two little kids finding he truly enjoyed spending time with Annie, especially. The small girl had him around her finger by the end of dinner. She had "Uncle Ian" carrying her about as she showed him things in her room.

He also fell in love with Espa's cooking as he leaned against the cabinets and sampled what was on the menu. Don had not told him lies, Espa could cook and she also stole his laundry to do it for him. He protested a little until Don told him it was hopeless. Then the two girls wanted to play with Edgerton. He sat very still and tolerantly as the girls brushed his hair and fawned over him.

The two then ambushed him with Mommy's makeup. As they put the makeup on him he told them about his job in kid terms as Don and Espa worked on dinner. Don also got time to talk to his wife about mundane things happening with her.

When dinner was ready Espa found Edgerton heading to the bathroom. She caught him and tried not to laugh. She took a camera phone picture of him to show to grandpa, since they regularly attacked Alan as well. She was happy he tolerated her babies enough to let them paint him. The makeup was badly done, but the coloring was right for his skin tone since he matched Espa well. She smiled and took his hand leading him into the restroom. She removed the makeup with makeup remover after he tried water and that failed.

She filled him up with good food. He had taken a shine to Annie whom he seemed to think was starving. He fed her from his plate as well as his own to the great amusement of her mother.

NUMB3RS

The next morning at the FBI office, Megan was going over the video tape. Crystal was clearly the alpha. All the spoils go to her. She and Colby talk about the tape and the killers' actions.

They know that Hoyle was eighteen months alone on the streets. The blanks were easy to fill there. She was intent and driven. Something was in her head, but what?

She then went back and cleaned up her life. She then was a sex education teacher to a high school senior, but something else was driving her and they had no idea what that was.

David got off the phone. Charlie's missing dot was found in Wyoming. Edgerton and Don were baffled, but they knew Charlie could figure things out in strange ways. There was a bar fight and the man was in the hospital.

Edgerton knows Buck always signed his robberies with poems. This was different, but a couple matching Winters and Hoyle were there. Don ordered a phone dump on the bar as well as getting David into seeing if they had connections in Wyoming.

NUMB3RS

Evening came. Espa had the girls over at Charlie's house to meet Don for dinner. She had spent some of her time there cleaning dust away from the surfaces before she started dinner. Alan had tried to get her to relax, but gave up after a while. Charlie was going out to dinner with Amita leaving the rest of the family to fend for themselves.

He soon busied himself looking at condos in booklets spread over the table. The girls were in the living room playing on their play blanket, having a tea party with their dolls and stuffed animals.

Don came in just before seven. Edgerton would be coming later after he gassed up his truck. He walked in the back door and came into the kitchen. He kissed his wife affectionately as she stood stirring a pot as she sat on a bar stool.

"Hey." He smiled at her. He gently caressed her hip. "How are you?"

"Good." She smiled. "Dad and the girls are out there." She plucked a piece of fuzz from his shirt softly

"Cool." He said.

"Want a beer?" She asked.

"Not at the moment." He smiled. He headed for the door. "Hey dad!" He called

"In here Donnie." Alan called.

"Oh, hey. I was looking for you." Don said holding a folder.

"Not that difficult to find." Alan said looking at the books. "Either the living room or the kitchen."

"Ooh. Condos, huh?" Don asked looking at what his father was working on.

"Yeah. All that money I made selling the house has just been sitting in the bank doing nothing. My accountant said I should reinvest." He reached down to scratch Gretchen's ears as she sat on his lap out of the way of the small hurried feet.

Don removed his blazer and set it on the chair. He smiled and squatted down to kiss his daughters' heads as they came to him. He smiled and hugged them and picked them up as he stood up. They giggled. Don turned back to his father. "You know what they say about real estate." He said smiling.

"No, what do they say?" Alan said sitting down.

"Actually, I don't know. I've just now become a home owner, but you know, you read about the bubble." Don said as he put the girls back down and they chattered together. He walked back. "They say it can't hurt to wait, so…"

Espa walked in with a bread basket. "Dad, you had better have this cleaned up in a few minutes. We are having company." She said.

"I will, honey." Alan said. He looked back at his son as she walked back to the kitchen and sighed, rolling her eyes. Don smiled. "Well, you know, actually, um…It's not about reinvestment actually, it's, uh…" He sighed shifting nervously. "Do you realize I haven't lived by myself for over forty years?"

"What? You're talking about actually moving out?" Don asked looking down at him.

"I'm considering it."

"Well, this looks like some pretty serious considering, Dad." Don said looking through a book.

"Well, I've been making a list of all the things I still want to do and…I would just like to do some things on my own."

"Mm-hmm. Charlie?" Don asked.

"I haven't told him yet. Espa thinks I should stretch my wings. A…and I would rather you didn't tell your brother."

"Yeah, well, you're on your own there." Don said. He smirked walking back to get a cup for Annie she was asking for. "Actually, you should get one with a tennis court." He handed the little girl her milk from the table where Alan has set it a while ago.

"I don't play tennis." Alan said putting on his glasses.

"Yeah, but I do." Don said shrugging.

"Your condo has one doesn't it?" Alan asked. "I mean, that has to be one of the reasons you fell in love with it."

"I hardly ever get to play. Espa is pregnant and I do not want her to learn as her belly grows under her chin. It can be rough on the knees and lower back."

There was a knock at the door. Don opened it to reveal Edgerton. "Hey, Eppes'." The two girls laughed and came to him shouting 'Uncle Ian' at him until he picked them up and covered them with kisses and tickles.

Espa brought out food and was as amused as Don at the gentleness of the worldly special agent. She went and touched Don's shoulder as he watched Edgerton drop into a chair with a girl on each knee chattering to him. He feigned interest as he admired the paintings and drawings they made for him. "He likes kids." She said rubbing his neck feeling some tension there. "Hey…you seem a little stiff. What's up?

"Yeah. We will have our little blackmail should he ever get out of line." He sighed and leaned into her caress. "I don't know. This case has me a little on edge is all." He smiled. "That feels good." He said softly and turned bringing his hands up to cup her face as he kissed her tenderly his hands getting lost in her hair. "You know, soon that belly of yours is going to be getting in the way of this." He smiled his face inches from her.

She swatted him as she chuckled and headed back for the kitchen as Alan cleaned off the table for dinner.

NUMB3RS

Don and Edgerton got the call that there was a dead man. The killers matched Crystal Hoyle and Buck Winters again. Megan was on call and she told Don to stay home with his family since he was just getting the girls to bed.

Edgerton went to meet her at the Porsche dealership. A man named Pierce Brenner had been shot by a hand gun.

No one saw anything and the pair was gone in the man's car. Edgerton found a burrito wrapper on the ground from where they had been waiting. That was new. There was no poem. Megan told Edgerton she could feel something changing.

NUMB3RS

Charlie and Amita were at dinner and they discussed themselves and the case. Charlie was really hoping that Amita was not going to go to Harvard. As it turned out she accepted Cal-Sci's offer and she would be staying.

All Charlie could do was kiss her.

NUMB3RS

Larry and Alan played chess well into the night and discussed telling Charlie about Alan moving to a different place. Larry is technically homeless, but he seems happy. Alan told him not to be an idiot when it came to Megan.

NUMB3RS

Edgerton returned to the Eppes apartment after midnight to find Espa awake and waiting for him with a cup of warm hot chocolate. He thanked her and asked why she was still up. She just smiled at him and shrugged saying the baby was keeping her up so she was reading _Persuasion. _She had given him keys earlier to come in. She smiled at him and walked to her bedroom with her robe about her to rejoin her sleeping husband.

NUMB3RS

The next morning Don had sent David and Colby out to listen to a woman's phone. Crystal Hoyle had called her from Wyoming and so they were hoping to get lucky.

Megan went to check on them.

David was listening to Lydia Campos's phone. Crystal had called her from the bar in Wyoming. She was arrested with Hoyle in 1992.

Lydia got a call from Hoyle at a payphone. Lydia promised to help Crystal out after some talking. David was able to trace the call to a payphone on Washington and Broadway.

Colby and Edgerton arrived too late for her, but they found the car stolen off the Porsche lot. Colby saw blood on the bumper. Edgerton used his baton to break the driver side glass and pop open the back.

Inside was a dead man. Colby got his wallet out and called in the new car. Edgerton looked about. No poem. Something was changing just like Megan had thought.

NUMB3RS

Don, Edgerton, and Megan were called to a blown up meth lab in the valley. David and Colby were set to watch Campos for further contact with Hoyle. Don looked at the bodies, four total, two dead before the fire and two dead from it. He sighed and rose from looking at the last body.

"Witnesses saw a male white and female white flee the scene in a Trans Am." Megan said.

Edgerton was looking about as well. "Size-nine work boots. See the star-shaped scuff on the insole? Buck picked that up between Kansas and Missouri."

"You know, meth labs like to use users as workers 'cause they can pay them in product." Megan said looking over at Don as he looked about. He stopped and looked over at her.

"Lydia Campos…you figure she worked here gave them the setup?" Edgerton asked.

"Right. They got to have fifty, a hundred Gs in cash around here, double that in product." Don said looking about.

"It's never been about the money before." Edgerton said sounding a little confused.

"Yeah, but drugs are what got Crystal arrested and sent her back home." Megan said as Don moved the ladder into the hall. He climbed on it and flicked on his flashlight to look about in the attic. "Maybe this was symbolic or retributive."

"Or it's all about grenades." Don said looking about. "Hey, I got a whole cache of weapons up here, guys."

NUMB3RS

Alan informed Charlie over breakfast that he was thinking to move out. Charlie took it better than Alan was expecting. He had expected resistance and got Charlie telling him to go forth and sow his wild oats.

NUMB3RS

Charlie could not figure out why he found the missing link in Wyoming. Larry came in and tried to help. Charlie discussed with him about Alan moving out. Charlie was shocked to find out Larry knew about it. Charlie lost a housemate and gained a girlfriend. Larry is happy to hear he is putting things forward with Amita. He was chasing her and she caught him. That gave him an idea.

NUMB3RS

Charlie brought in his computer to the war room of the FBI to talk to Megan, Edgerton, Larry, Amita, and Don about pursuit curves. Like a fighter plane in the air, they had to see how them chasing Hoyle was effecting her.

Charlie worked out why he found the missing dot on the map. It was a variation of a pursuit curve. Larry, Amita, and Charlie need all the profiling data and any data that the FBI had on Hoyle to try and guess her next move.

Don's phone rang. It was Espa and she was nearly hysterical. He tried to calm her down. The girl's were missing. She had put them down for a nap and she too had napped. When she woke up, the girls were gone and the front door was open. Gretchen was on the landing barking.

Don told her to touch nothing and go to stay put until he got there.

NUMB3RS

Don arrived at the Eppes home with Edgerton and Charlie behind him. He ran up the stair calling for Espa as he did. She appeared, her face tear stained, and her face pale. She was holding two pictures for the agents that followed them.

Don had issued an Amber Alert for them and the agents faxed in the pictures to put up on the websites and on APBs. Don held his wife as she was interviewed by a fellow agent.

It was about two hours later when Don took Espa to his car. Edgerton drove. Charlie and Don held the weeping Espa, who was blaming herself for the whole affair. The forensic team was at work at the flat and Espa needed to have a place to relax.

NUMB3RS

Colby and David were still in the van waiting for another call from Hoyle. Lydia got a call from Crystal and they got it. They got a back trace and they got Lydia going out to the mailbox for her gift from Hoyle. They arrested her as an accomplice.

NUMB3RS

Don gently helped his wife out of the car. "Come on honey. They can't be far." He said gently. Charlie moved and wrapped his arm about her.

Edgerton led the way and froze on the porch. Zephyr was on the porch drawing with chalk on the cement.

Alan came out through the door holding Annie. "I was just about to call you. They arrived about ten minutes ago. They were thirsty. Which one of you dropped them off and did not come in to at least warn me they were here?"

Charlie was too stunned to speak like Espa.

Don stepped forward. "We didn't." He said. He dropped to his knees. "Zephyr." He said firmly. He had tears in his eyes. He quickly signed to her. Where did you go? 

She looked up. Grandpa's house. 

Why? 

No like new house. Not grandpa's. Not home. The little hands told him.

You took your sister here? 

Yes. 

Don reached forward and grabbed her shoulders. "Don't ever do that again young lady!" He growled. "Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?"

Ouch. Daddy hurting me. She signed. She had tears in her eyes sensing his anger.

He sighed and pulled her into his arms and held her tight to him as he kissed her hair. "Don't ever do that again!" He said shaking her.

"So they walked…all the way here?" Alan asked stunned.

"Yeah." Edgerton said. "We put out an Amber Alert because they were missing. Good to see they made it here."

Espa hugged Zephyr. Alan set Annie down and she joined the two parents and her sister. Charlie looked bemused as he watched them hugging each other.

Edgerton pulled out his phone. "This is Edgerton. We can cancel the Alert. They went to Grandpa's house." He shrugged and shook his head.

NUMB3RS

Megan interrogated Lydia for information about Hoyle and why she wanted the grenades. Hoyle had a married guy who set her up when she was in LA and by the time she knew what he wanted it was too late to get out for her. She mentions Billy Rivers as the rebound guy whom came to her door step after they had no where else to go. The drugs were his.

NUMB3RS

Colby and David found information Rivers. He had a rap sheet because of several busts. He is in the wind since no one had seen him in two days, the same time Hoyle came into town.

The team figures out that Brenner was the married guy who she was hooked up with and Rivers was the rebound guy. Edgerton can see if Megan is right then Rivers is her next target to mend wrongs done or done to her.

They needed to find him before she did.

Hoyle's picture was shown all over places where she had been looking for information on her by the local PD and the team.

NUMB3RS

"I mean, we've been through his known associates, his favorite hangouts, right?." Don said as he paced in Charlie's office. His wife was there with the two brothers and Edgerton. He had managed to drag her away from the babies in order to grade papers at the school with them safely in Grandpa Alan's care. She had not wanted them out of her sight and had cancelled her three pm class to stay with them. He knew she was blaming herself for them leaving, but he could not deal with that right now. "The guy is hiding."

Espa was sitting at Charlie's desk reading an exam essay as she half listened to the men.

"And Hoyle and Winters are out there looking for him." Edgerton said.

"What do you think about, you know, like adjusting the pursuit curve for that?" Don asked looking at the chalkboard.

"Uh…for Crystal chasing Rivers." Charlie said walking to the board.

"If we can find him fast, he'd be good bait." Edgerton said.

Charlie went to his desk. "Sorry, Espa." He said bumping her. "You know, I've been running expressions assuming a dog chasing a cat. It's actually a dog chasing a cat chasing a mouse."

"I thought I was an airplane." Edgerton said.

Espa smirked a little.

"Oh, cats and dogs work better now." Charlie said. "The cat has two sets of points affecting it now…the way she adjusts her angle of pursuit to overtake the mouse, and strategy she employs to evade the dog. Obviously, the dog's optimal strategy is to head for the mouse and let the cat come to him."

Then we don't have to know his location, right." Don said following. "Just where Hoyle is going to be looking for him."

"Exactly. So, if we adjust, and weight values for River's previous known locations...so old addresses and sites of arrest and such, eliminating places that we know Hoyle has already searched while using them to infer her decision patterns…" Charlie said turning to work on the chalk board.

"Voodoo." Edgerton said.

Espa smiled at him. "No just Charlie, our math genius." She said.

Don offered her a hand. "Come on. You look like you could use something like a warm chai."

"You tempt me terribly Agent." She answered taking his hand.

"Ah, but I am buying." Edgerton said. "We need to leave the math genius alone to work." He grinned and lifted her paperwork up and followed Espa and Don out the door to leave Charlie in peace with his work.

NUMB3RS

Amita comes to Charlie to go to dinner. He was in the middle of his work when she came in. She then told him it was okay and his work was more important. She could go over notes. She left him stunned.

NUMB3RS

David, Colby, Edgerton, and Megan went to the cousin of Rivers for a stake out. Colby and David broke in and removed the cousin from the house. He was in the middle of making out with his latest girlfriend.

Edgerton gives the order to remove them. He is still a little weary of the whole math finding the place. Colby and David's team removed the two people in the house. David and Colby stayed to hide out.

Winters drove up in the Trans Am. Hoyle was missing which worried Edgerton. Winters parked two houses down and then walked in the backyards to the house. He was at the back door when David and Colby jumped him.

He had a gun and Edgerton fired getting a rifle round through his arm to prevent him from firing at the two agents in the house.

Back at the FBI office, after they had attended his arm, Winters sat in the interrogation room with Don and Megan.

"I'm not telling you where she is." Winters said firmly.

"Ah…he doesn't know. He's bait." Don said. "She almost got him killed."

"You don't understand her." Winters said. Don stopped his pacing to look at him harshly. "Cris loves me so much, she never lets me out of her sight. I had to wait for her to fall asleep just to leave."

"She shot his father fourteen times, right?" Don said. "Fourteen."

"My mother drank herself to death over that old bastard's abuse, and Cris was the only one who was there for me." Winters said. "He wanted to get her fired for that."

"And she killed him to protect your secret?" Megan asked.

"You're not listening. I killed him. I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt her." Winter said. "The things she's already been through in life."

"You didn't tell her where you were going, did you." Megan said leaning down to him. "You wanted to get to Rivers before she did?"

"Cris wants to talk to him. This guy who lied to her, he used her, he got her arrested." Winters protested.

"Look, you see what she did to Brenner? What almost happened to you, huh?" Don said moving to the table. He leaned on the table looking at the high school student.

"If you love her, Buck, you have to help us take her safely." Megan said.

"Take her?" Winters scoffed. "You can't lock up a force of nature."

NUMB3RS

Don was frustrated and needed something to drink. His wife and Charlie were in the break room waiting for him. Charlie was reading a book on penal codes and Espa was beading a design onto a piece of fabric as she sat in one of the comfortable leather chairs.

Don walked in and went strait for the refrigerator.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Charlie asked not looking up. Espa's eyes flicked up. "Any new information?" He asked of his brother.

Don grabbed a bottle of water and sighed. "He's young, stupid, and in love. I don't think he's going to budge. You got any juice left in those pursuit curves?" He opened the bottle and took a sip as he walked and dropped into a chair beside his wife. He gently touched her knee as she offered him a smile.

"I'll take another look, but I suspect we're no longer looking anything like a classic pursuit." Charlie said getting out the chair he was in and going to join the pair.

Don's head dropped back against the seat back. Espa looked over. "Tired handsome?" She asked. She was well aware it was about ten pm and her babies were long in bed at Alan's house.

"You know Dad's planning on moving out, right?" Charlie said as he dropped to sit on the chair arm that Espa was sitting in.

"You okay with it?" Don asked looking at him.

"Of course I'm okay. I mean you guys just moved out. I will be fine. I mean, no, I'm going to miss him, though. I'm going to miss the guy, but I can certainly understand his point of view." Charlie said.

Don smirked. "Yeah, watch, he'll become this big stud, you know." He chuckled and his brother joined him.

"Yeah, right." Charlie said.

Espa looked up as she pulled the string through. "Well, he would definitely be your father then." She said and smiled as Don looked at her.

"Are you calling me a stud? I kinda like that." He grinned and touched her thigh.

"A stud who will have less fingers if he touches me there in public more." Espa countered.

Don chuckled and removed his hand. "Something else?" he asked seeing Charlie looking about.

"Oh, um, Amita, she decided to stay at Cal-Sci." Charlie said.

"Oh…so she is a colleague now." Espa smiled. "Good and good for you."

"Oh, no season tickets to the Bruins?" Don asked feigning disappointment. "What…"

"Dude, I was never going to move to Boston." Charlie said.

"Well, so what's the problem?" Don asked.

"There's no problem." Charlie said a little too quickly. Espa looked at her husband and he met her gaze a moment before she looked down again at her beadwork. "No, no, no, don't get me wrong. No, she's amazing. She's an amazing woman. It just seems like I keep wondering if she's thinking, 'Is this what I gave up Harvard for?'"

"Ah, she stayed." Don said. He smiled a little at Espa's deliberately lowered head. "She wants the same things you want." He said.

"Maybe, I don't want those things, though, you know?" Charlie said.

"Hmm. Yeah, look, I don't know." Don said rolling his head to look at him. "I mean, I don't know if relationships are ever exactly what we want." He said sitting forward. He looked back at Espa. "I mean, me and Espa…But you learn to make it work and you are very happy." He said looking at her. "I mean, Espa could have left with Zephyr in her belly and she stayed for me, waiting for me to figure out what I wanted. Amita may do the same." He said thoughtfully.

"You love Espa don't you?" Charlie said.

"Charlie…" Espa hissed a little. "Of course he does." She said out of the side of her mouth.

"Yeah." Don said looking at him. "Yeah, I love her, I just…I don't know." He looked back at his wife. "She is my world now. I really have no idea what to do if she were not in my life." He looked back at his brother. "Look, you say you wanted a second chance. You got it you know. The only thing that'll screw that up…" He said rising to his feet. He walked to the door.

"Is me?" Charlie said spreading his hands.

"Yeah, exactly. You ready to go home Sweetheart?" Don asked looking back. .

"Anytime." She said looking up at him.

He held out his hand. "Let's go home. I have had way too much relationship advice giving tonight. Isn't that your job as female in our family?"

She got up and waddled over to him and laughed as she looked at him. "Well, now it's my job to handle your brother?"

"I didn't say…" He protested and she stopped him with a kiss and then took his hand.

"Come on." She smiled.

NUMB3RS

Buck Winters was moved into holding by Colby, David, and Edgerton. They put him in a secure car and escort.

Megan got into her car and drove to meet Larry.

NUMB3RS

Megan and Larry met at and all night café. They had wanted a very early breakfast.

"Seventeen years old and his future is already a forgone conclusion." Larry mused. "You know how fearsome a thought that is that a single choice can determine a destiny?"

"Buck Winters' or Crystal Hoyle's destiny?" Megan asked.

"One's essentially a child, the other's a fully-formed adult." Larry said.

"Formed around a fifteen year old girl who made the kind of bad decisions that fifteen year old girls make and then those decisions stay with you for the rest of your life." Megan said.

"I am detecting here an authority that transcends the theoretical."

"Well…I didn't run away from home, but I didn't walk, either. And unlike Crystal, I can live with all of my decisions. I do not even regret most of them. Does that make you uncomfortable?"

Larry shrugged. "Listen, I live in hotel rooms and sleep on my office sofas. Does that make you uncomfortable?"

"No, I find it oddly attractive." She chuckled a little.

"You continually put me in mind of the M57 nebula." Larry said. "Both of you with these layers upon layers of endless complexity."

"You know, I don't think I'm ever going to tire of being compared to the M57 nebula." Megan smiled. "And thank you for breakfast." She said. "I was way too wound up to go home."

Don chuckled as he looked up at his wife. The girls at grandpa's house. Alan had thought it best not to disturb them since they were comfortable. That allowed Don and Espa to have the apartment to themselves while Edgerton was at the holding area. Don had intended to use it.

He was pulling at her shirt before the front door was shut and she found herself in his arms and in moments flat on her back looking up at her handsome husband. He rolled to the side bringing her above him as he caressed down her body. She had straddled him and had taken in him with the ease of a married woman with her husband and chosen lover.

She smiled down at him as he cupped her buttocks. She rocked against him as they panted whispering gentle words that meant nothing and everything at the same time.

Don was wound up as well and he needed to relax. He was at times an aggressive lover, but he wanted Espa to led and though she controlled their activities he was still very much the master in the bedroom. He thrust up to her and pulled her down across him to kiss her as his hands wandered up and down her back.

Megan said goodbye to Larry. As he drove away and she was getting into her car Crystal Hoyle came up behind her. Before Megan could stop her she was holding a live grenade and told her to drive. Megan not wanting to die, did as she was told.

Left behind was a tan van in a fire zone.

Edgerton walked into the darkened house. He made his way quickly and quietly to his room and shut the door. There was no noise and so he figured the Eppes' were asleep already.

As it was Espa was curled between Don's arm and his side as they lay together letting their hearts quiet. Espa was nearly asleep as her husband caressed her shoulder lightly playing with her thick hair absently.

Don was at peace as only Espa could bring him. Tomorrow would bring what it may, but this night he was content.


	39. Two Daughters  pt 2

**Two Daughters**

15

Years

14

Hours

9

Digits

0

Ways out

Morning came to the team.

Don was sitting at his desk in the bullpen reading files on Crystal Hoyle. Charlie and Edgerton were working out where Crystal was likely to go in the war room. Colby and David were processing Buck Winters.

A cop on the street was ticketing parking violators. He came upon a tan van in front of a fire hydrant. He looked it up and it was marked as a car that had been car jacked.

NUMB3RS

"Buck Goes Free." Don said reading the writing on the wall of the van as Colby opened it.

"Looks like she left out the 'or else'" Colby said looking in.

"Yeah?" Don said as he jumped in squatting down as he looked inside.

"We're doing a complete canvas of the area, but aren't a lot of people out here past nine, ten at night." David said joining Colby at the back.

"What about this diner?" Don asked looking over at them at the back.

"Shift change was six AM." David said. "We're tracking down the night crew right now."

"I mean, she left it like this for a reason." Don said.

"She's way off her MO." David said. "No dead bodies left behind."

"Yeah, what if it's not a body, though?" Colby said. "Maybe it's a hostage."

"Maybe." Don said. "What's the deal with Megan? Where is she already?" He said looking at his watch.

"I tried calling her at her apartment and her cell phone…there was no answer." Colby said with a shrug.

"Yeah, well, try Larry." Don said shifting.

"We don't have a number for him." David said. "And you know he's not listed, right?"

"Wait. Fleinhardt?"

"Charlie!" Don barked at his brother who was waiting patiently at Don's car.

"You kidding me? Fleinhardt and Megan?" Colby stared at David.

"Yeah, man, for about a few weeks now." David said.

"So everybody knows?" Colby asked as David dialed a number on his phone.

David smiled and clapped him on the back. "Everyone knows now."

Colby pouted a little. "I can't believe she didn't tell me."

"Yeah, so it's…it's like I said earlier." Charlie said coming over. "I mean, even with the new point I doubt my pursuit curves are gonna hold up any longer. You know, given the arrest of Buck Winters, the change in movement from random to…to incentivized, they're no longer a team."

"Right." Don said looking at him. "You got a number on Larry, give it to Colby."

"Uh, actually, Larry doesn't have a number. He doesn't have a phone."

"Really?" Colby asked. "He doesn't have a cell phone?"

"Yeah. He calls them 'electronic leashes.' Look, you could try him at his office, but, you know, it's still pretty early." Charlie said scratching his head.

Don was signing paperwork as his phone rang. "Oh, wait. Maybe this is her here." He reached down handing the clipboard back to an agent near him. He looked at the log and it said 'Megan Reeves'. "Yeah. I got her." He flipped open his phone and put it to his ear. "Megan, what's the deal?"

"Is this Agent Eppes, number one on her speed dial?" A female voice asked on the other side of the line. It was not Megan.

Don removed his sunglasses. "Who is this?" He asked.

"Exactly who you think it is." The woman said. David and Colby looked back at Don confused at Don's confused and angry look. "I want a strait-up trade…Buck for Reeves."

"All right, let me talk to her." Don said shaking his head.

"Burbank Airport, six PM. Have a Cessna fueled and ready to go." The woman said. She clicked the phone shut cutting off the line.

Don looked at his phone as he worked to redial. "All right, get an APB on Megan's car, and a tap on her cell phone." He barked the orders. "Start a GPS tracking. If you get anything, I want it triangulated." He said listening as the phone rang.

"All right!" Colby said moving with David to do as he said.

Megan's voice came on, but it was her voicemail. "Hey, you've reached 323…"

"Oh, damn!" Don growled. He looked about. "Pull Winters out of holding." He said moving to go back to his suburban.

"What…what's going on?" Charlie asked moving to follow his brother.

"Hoyle's got Megan! Let's go!" Don barked as he opened the door. Charlie rushed to the passenger side and got in as Don jumped in and started the car to drive to the office to start a search grid.

NUMB3RS

Espa walked into the office holding a coffee. The girls were at daycare since Alan had a meeting to go to. She saw the team fluttering about. "Charlie what is it?" she asked. She had been delayed in coming because of roadblocks and police cars. She had actually come for a meeting with her godfather to teach the rookie agents some Islamic customs, but he had cancelled when she arrived, but gave no reason why.

"Megan was kidnapped." Charlie said. "Don's in the war room. Come on."

Espa followed him and paused at the door seeing Edgerton and Don looking intently at a screen with video on it. Charlie walked in and moved behind his brother. He beckoned Espa. She shook her head, but Edgerton saw her.

"Espa, are you all right? We have a bit of a problem." He said. Don looked up and acknowledged her, but said nothing. His look should his worry and stress. Espa could clear read his mood and knew not to cross it with him.

She stepped forward. "I do not want to be in the way, Ian." She said. "Is there any way I can help? I mean it is a little out of my realm of consultant, but I can try." She said.

Charlie smiled. "I am sure you will be fine." He said as Espa moved and sat on a desk behind Don and Charlie.

"So, Hoyle ditched Megan's cell phone in a garbage can off Alameda." Colby said coming in. We got roadblocks set up all over town."

"All right, good." Don nodded sipping his coffee.

Edgerton pointed to the screen as Megan drove off and a van pulled out. "There she is." He said.

"Right." Don nodded.

Charlie and Colby leaned against the table Espa was sitting on. As the van moved forward, Don froze the frame and then zoomed in on the driver. It was clearly Crystal.

"All right, let's see how long she waited." Don said as he zoomed out and then ran the tape backwards.

"She didn't wait." Colby said watching as the van pulled in just as they were coming out with Winters. "She followed." He said pointing to Megan's car showing up at the area. She had followed Megan there.

"All right, look." Don said. "So Hoyle wakes up, she finds, Buck missing, right?" Don said looking at the other in the room.

"They've already killed one old boyfriend, Pierce Brenner." Edgerton said pointing to the dead guy in the photo before him.

"And he's out looking for this guy, Billy Rivers, who…who is boyfriend number two." Don said as he started to pace. He paced when he was thinking or when he was stressed. Espa knew it was nervous energy, but he had cause this time with Megan's kidnapping.

"She must have shown up right at the time we locked up Buck." Colby said.

"And followed us straight back here." Edgerton said with a sigh as he stood hands on hips.

"That takes some guts, parking right out there, man." Don said.

"That is not guts." Espa observed. "That is calculated."

"What kind of person takes that kind of risk?" Charlie asked.

"The scariest kind…" Edgerton said. "Too crazy to care and smart enough not to get caught." He said with a sigh.

Espa looked up and saw an agent with Larry. She clicked her tongue getting her husband's attention. She nodded toward Larry and then got down and walked to the door. She was going to talk to him and get him down from outer orbit so the team could get sense out of him. Don watched her go.

NUMB3RS

Espa took him to the break room and sat him in a chair. She sighed gently talking to him before David came in to talk to him. "We…we had breakfast." Larry said. "We said good-bye." He said sounding calmer than he was.

David took a step forward. "What time was that?" He asked.

Larry sighed getting up. "Oh, I don't know. Four-thirty or a quarter to five?" He shrugged.

"Did you notice anything else?" David asked as they walked out the door. "A car maybe, somebody hanging around?"

Espa followed to support Larry if he needed it. He had been appreciative of her gentle words to him before.

"No, no. I was just…" Larry started, but stopped. "I was focused on Megan. And that is not true. That's not true." David paused looking at him. He raised an eyebrow. "I had my own agenda. My own need to return to my own intellectual orbit. What the hell is wrong with me?" He said.

Espa was a pace back sympathetically listening.

"We're going to get her back, Larry, okay?" David said. "She's one of ours."

"If I'd just waited the fifteen minutes, followed her car home with my car." Larry said as he moved through the bullpen.

Espa shook her head softly. "She would have been taken elsewhere Larry." She said as he dropped into a seat near David's desk. David leaned against his desk and offered Espa the chair. She thanked him with a smile.

"Larry, Megan is a decorated FBI agent, she's a black belt in Krav Maga, and one of the best shots in this office." David said to him.

"What…what are you…?" Larry sat forward. "Is this your artless way of saying that I lacked the…the competence to defend her?"

David looked at Espa and sighed. Espa touched Larry's arm. "Larry, that is not what he meant. He is just stating Megan's strengths to get through this."

"It's my way of saying that on a good day, any one of us can be gotten to." David said gently.

Larry sat back to think as Espa gently touched his shoulders.

NUMB3RS

Espa got a call on her cell phone. She was at Don's desk in the bullpen. She had been standing to relieve a cramp in her back. "Eppes." She said softly adopting her husband's normal greeting these days. Colby was working nearby. "What!" She cried out causing him to look over at her. "Yes…thank you…I…" She felt her knees weakening.

Colby watched her stumbling backwards trying to find the chair and nearly missing it. He caught her and gently looked at her pale face. "Espa…what is it?" He asked. "You look like you have seen a ghost or gotten really bad news." He said taking the phone from her clenched hand.

"My…my father is dead." She whispered. "My sister…she is all alone in Boise…I have to…I have to…go to her." She struggled to get up.

"Wait, wait. You need to get your bearings first. You are pregnant and news like that is not good. Rest a second. Can I get you some tea…or something?" He said looking about for Don. She needed him right now and his mind was on Megan. He suspected Espa understood that better than he did, but he needed to support his wife. "Don!" He called to his boss when he saw him coming out of the break room with Edgerton holding coffee.

Don came over seeing his wife with her head in her hands. "What is up? Did she pass out?" He asked dropping into a chair and going to her side. He touched her hands. "Hey…"

Edgerton looked at the woman. Seeing there was no immediate danger he sighed. "I will go get Winters." He said and turned sharply on his heel and went back to the cell area.

"No…she got some bad news and nearly blacked out." Colby said.

"I need to go to Idaho." Espa said, her voice sounding strained.

"Why?" Don asked.

She looked up her eyes wet with tears. "My dad died Donnie." She said her voice cracking.

Don took a breath. That as not what he needed at that very moment. He need to be clear and focused and his emotions were high enough as it was. He gently hugged her to him and kissed her brow. "Baby…I have to find Megan. You know that." He said softly.

"I know." She said gently. "You will find her. I am going to call dad to watch the babies and then I am going to go see Lupe and make funeral arrangements." She said wiping her eyes.

He handed her a tissue. "I am going to have Tommy drive you home okay." He said softly. "I will come to the funeral okay."

"No." She said sharply causing him to look at her startled. She sighed. "No, you have duties here. I will have a quick ceremony and have the will read and come back with Lupe."

"We will adopt her." Don said. "She needs family."

She sighed. "Go find Megan. I will be fine." She said standing up.

Don looked at her as she wobbled a little. He laid a hand on her. "Tommy. Come here!"

The agent walked over. "Yeah Don?"

"Can you take my wife home? She is not fit to drive."

"Sure." Tommy nodded looking at Espa.

"Thanks." Espa said with a smile as Don watched her go as did Colby.

"I love you." Don called after her knowing it was belated, but he also knew his wife understood him better than anyone.

She turned a little and smiled. She lifted her hand signing 'I love you' with her hand before Tommy led her to the elevator. Don watched her go and sighed as the elevator door shut.

NUMB3RS

Edgerton handed Winters over to Don in cuffs and stood outside as Don led him into an interrogation room.

"Sit down." Don said lowly. He started to close the blinds around the room. "Crystal took a hostage." He said.

Winters sat down. "So?"

"A federal agent she wants to trade you for." Don said.

"And you want your agent back?" Winters asked with a slight smile. "Then you'd better."

Don continued to close blinds. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what I want to know." Don said. His voice was low and his eyes angry as he moved systematically about the room.

"That's fine." Winters said cockily. "I got all day."

"Well, I don't and that should worry you." Don said.

"Yeah? Why?"

"'Cause nothing matters to me except getting my agent back, and I got very little time, and you're my only lead."

"So what? What are you going to do? Are you going to beat me up?"

Don turned to face him. The door was the only part of the room not enclosed by the blinds. "I've never beaten a prisoner in my life, but if you don't tell me what I want to know by the time I walk out of that door, it's out of my hands."

"I'm not telling you anything." Winters said sitting forward.

Don was already moving for the door. He walked out and Edgerton caught the door and leaned against it looking in at Winters like a cat who had just caught a mouse and was stalking for the kill. Winters swallowed realizing that though Don Eppes had qualms with torture and abuse, this agent did not.

"You sure this is what you want to do?" Colby asked Don as he walked passed him. He watched Edgerton closing the rest of the blinds.

"Do I look unsure?" Don barked at him.

"Don, I'm just saying, I've seen what happens when you cross certain lines." Colby said following him to his desk in the bullpen. "It can be really hard to find your way back."

Don sat down and looked up at him a moment before turning to his computer. "Colby, the only thing I want to find is my agent." He said firmly.

Colby sighed and nodded. He could accept that. He knew Don had buried his feelings about Espa's loss and was consentrating on the case. Personally, Colby thought Don was not being a good mate to his wife because he was putting work before her feelings, but he could hardly judge the man. Don was Don and if Espa loved and accepted him for the way he was, who was Colby to change him.

NUMB3RS

Charlie was staring at the equations he was working on in the war room. Larry came in and asked why he was sitting there. Charlie was thinking. He could tell that Larry was not all with it and was emotional. He tried to calm Larry down from his snappy behavior. Larry soon realized that for once Charlie was being level headed and trying to solve where Megan was. Larry was more emotionally attached and so was more irrational. Also with Espa gone Larry had no one to talk to about his feelings other than Charlie. Charlie sent him home and Larry surprising did it realizing he was right.

NUMB3RS

Don leaned against the wall of the bullpen waiting for Edgerton to come out. He looked over and straitened as Edgerton opened the blinds and stepped out.

"They were staying in an abandoned house off of Ventura." Edgerton said handing Don a paper. "She's probably not there anymore."

Don leaned over the bullpen wall and gave the paper to David and Colby. "All right, you got five minutes to put together a team." He told them. Colby took it and nodded. "He tell you where she'd go next?"

"If he knew, he would've told me." Edgerton said quietly and walked passed Don to go to the break room.

Don looked in the room. Winters was leaning against the table in a ball nearly in tears. He just shook his head and walked to his desk.

NUMB3RS

Colby, David, and a SWAT team hit the house and found no one, but Megan's car was there. Colby gave the order to pop the trunk having a bit of a sick feeling inside. A SWAT man did and he and David looked inside. There was no one. Just a shoe and a cloth that might have been used to gag Megan.

Hoyle took Megan with her and so Megan was still alive.

NUMB3RS

They returned to the FBI office. Charlie explained they were playing a game with Hoyle really. David was walking with him trying to get more information from what Charlie had been working on. Charlie knew they needed to alter the parameters of the game they were playing. Like a sudden death over time to break a tie score. Charlie agreed. Charlie said they should play tic-tac-toe, but alter the rules so their team got to move twice to the other player's one moves. It becomes easier to win.

Rivers has been hiding from her and from the FBI. Charlie knows they can use forward induction to find him. Charlie recognized there was an amazing commonality. He had the same lawyer for 81.25 of his arrest record.

Charlie has David call the attorney and explain that Rivers was better off working with the FBI than being killed by Crystal Hoyle. David was skeptical, but willing to try. It could not hurt.

NUMB3RS

Don sat in the listening room. David was in with Rivers and his lawyer. Don sighed listening to Rivers.

"Haven't seen the girl in like fifteen years." He said.

"But you knew she was looking for you." David said.

"Uh, that friend of hers, Lydia, was asking around." Rivers said. "I heard Crystal'd been on the Strip, hitting some of the old places, talking to some of the old people."

"Why does she want to kill you, Billy?" David asked.

"Who says she does?" Rivers asked.

"She shows up, you drop everything, disappear, you tuck tail and run." David said.

"Girlfriend shows up, way past the expiration date, you don't go out of your way to make yourself available, you know what I mean." Rivers said.

"I thought he was here to cooperate." David said looking at the lawyer.

"My client is cooperating." The lawyer said. "Came here of his own volition."

David looked at Rivers and Rivers met his gaze silently a moment.

Don sighed. Colby walked into the room where he was listening. "Anything?" He asked.

Don flicked off the speaker. "They're wasting our time here." Don said.

"Take a look at this." Colby said handing him a file. "May change his attitude. It's the deep background Megan requested on Pierce Brenner."

Don read and then smiled. "Thanks." He said. He walked out and walked into the interrogation room. He slapped the file down before the two seated men. "In 1992, Pierce Brenner made a fifty thousand dollar payoff." He said as he walked behind them clearly angry.

"Pierce who?" Rivers asked.

"Not to you." Don said. "To you." Don said to the lawyer.

"Come on, you're asking me about a single fee from fifteen years ago…" The lawyer looked up as Don leaned down.

"From a dead car dealer who had the same girlfriend as your client." Don growled. It was clear from his eyes and look he was not to be toyed with. "In 1992."

"So?" The lawyer asked.

"So, that's a small world, counselor." Don said.

"Wait a minute, Brenner's dead?" Rivers asked a little shocked.

"Hoyle killed him two nights ago and if you don't help me here, you're gonna be bait for me out there." Don said.

"Wait a minute. Are you threatening my client?" The lawyer asked.

"Yeah, you bet your ass I am." Don growled.

"We came here in voluntarily." The lawyer said.

"Hey. I have an agent four, five hours away from being killed." Don yelled back at him.

"We're done here." The lawyer said rising.

"Oh, you may be, but he's not." Don said. "Arrest him." He said looking at David.

"Arrest me? For what?" Rivers asked rising to his feet.

Don shoved him hard against the table reaching for his hands. "For statutory rape, how's that, huh?" Don yelled down at him as he cuffed him. "Corrupting a minor, how about that? Crystal Hoyle was fifteen!" He growled.

"You've just made a big mistake, Agent Eppes." The lawyer said.

Don pulled Rivers up. "Yeah? Sue me!" He said leading the man out. David stood motionless a moment and then followed.

Don gave him Rivers to put in the cells. He took a deep breath and leaned against the wall. His phone rang. He sighed and took a breath. He flipped it open. "Eppes."

"I am just getting ready to board my flight. I should be there in a couple of hours. How is finding Megan?" Espa's voice asked him. She sounded so sad and tired.

He sighed. "Not well. We found Rivers. One step closer. I am hoping Charlie can work his magic. Give Lupe my love. I will call her when we find Megan. I love you."

"I know. I love you too." Espa said. He heard the PA calling for the passengers. "I have to go."

"Safe trip." He said realizing that he, himself sounded exhausted.

"Thanks. Bye."

"Bye sweetheart." Don clicked his phone shut and sighed. He could not let his emotions rule him. He needed to rein them in and get control. He had overstepped his ethics and needed to clear his head to think clearer and find his agent.

NUMB3RS

Don sat in the war room thinking by himself. He had his head in his hands. His brother walked in and he sighed. He told his brother he had pushed over the edge. He was desperate. Charlie tried to convince him he was not responsible. Don countered with that he was. He was responsible for Crystal getting Megan and he was responsible for not being there for his wife when she really needed him. Charlie asked him about that and Don sighed and told him Ysidro had passed away. Stunned Charlie lets Don meld his thoughts a moment before trying to help in the only way he knew how, with math.

Charlie illustrated a problem of a faster boat chasing a slower boat until the slower boat went into the fog. The best strategy for the fast boat was to turn around and make a circle and assume the slow boat also turned around. Don was tired and rubbed his face as Charlie worked the equation.

Edgerton and Colby came in to check on what was going on. Edgerton was trying to follow what was going on. Colby told him to nod his head and wait for the punch line. Charlie showed the punch line as a spiral from a center point outwards where they should search. All three of the other men were stunned.

Colby went to gather David to start looking. Don and Edgerton went to Don's SUV to start looking as well. Once in the car, Edgerton asked how Espa was and Don sighed saying on he was not sure, but she was a strong woman and would be fine. He was more worried for her teenage sister who had already seen too much. With that he started the car and started their search pattern.

NUMB3RS

Don and Edgerton, David and Colby, and several other search groups were out looking for the next couple of hours looking for any sign of Hoyle and Megan.

There were shots fired from the Twilight Motel at five-twenty. David and Colby were only blocks away. It was the next place on Charlie' map. David flipped on his siren and went to the motel.

They pulled in and the manager came to meet them. "Hey. Room fifteen." He told them.

Another shot rang out and shattered the sedan's windshield. "Move!" David cried. David and Colby drew their weapons and went to take shelter behind the car.

"Shots fire, Twilight Motel." Colby reported into the radio.

"Copy that. All units additional shots fired." The dispatcher reported.

Hoyle came onto the balcony with a knife to Megan's neck. She was using Megan as a shield. It was clear that Megan was bound with her hands behind her. "Shoot me and we all go." Hoyle cried.

"Okay. Slow down, Crystal." David said. "Just calm down.

She threw a grenade and went back inside.

"Grenade!" Colby cried as it rolled under the sedan. It blew and the car exploded as Colby and David dove for cover.

Inside the room Hoyle used the but of the knife to stun Megan by hitting her temple. Megan dropped to the floor. Hoyle cut the inside of her arm, cutting the brachial artery. Hoyle moved quickly to make her escape knowing they had to care for the agent and not follow her.

Don and Edgerton pulled up. They both had their weapons drawn as they got out.

"They're up there!" David said slowly moving to the building with Colby, weapons at the ready. "Second floor! Room fifteen!"

Don and Edgerton took the lead and walked up first followed by the other two. They went up the stairs looking and covering each other.

Don was the first to enter the room. "Oh, hey, she's cut, guys!" He said. He moved to look at Megan on the floor in a pool of blood. Edgerton moved in to clear the small room while Don attended her. Don holstered his weapon and knelt down next to her. "Hey, Megan, Megan?" He called to her. "Can you hear me?" He removed his sunglasses for a better look.

David joined him as he holstered his own weapon. Colby went to help Edgerton.

"She's cut bad, it looks like an artery." Don said as David gently touched Megan's face to try and get her to focus on him. "Megan?" He called again. When she half looked at him, but her eyes rolled about he sighed and took the towel David handed him. "She's in and out of it." He wrapped the towel about her arm. "Megan, can you hear me?"

Edgerton looked out the bathroom window. There was a silver car driving away in the alley.

"Hold on, let me just get this on here." Don said as he removed his belt to put pressure on the wound. He tightened it as far as he could.

"Silver Pontiac." Edgerton said. "I need to take the vehicle."

"No, no, no, no, n…no." Don said looking up at him. "We've got to get her to a hospital, she's bleeding out here." Don said as he worked the bandage. "She doesn't have much time."

"Stay with us, okay?" David said to Megan, though she was mostly unconscious.

"I'll get the door to the car." Colby said moving quickly to be of help.

David lifted Megan's legs in his arms. Don grabbed her shoulders and they carried her between them out the door.

"LAPD'll be here in two minutes." Edgerton protested knowing the window was closing on catching Hoyle. "She's getting away."

"She doesn't have two minutes!" David yelled at him as he and Don held her gently.

"Let's go, let's go." Don said as they reached the stairs. "We got you, sweetie." Don said softly to the inert form in his arms. He grunted. In his mind it was the same for Megan as it was for his wife. He needed to get her safe and now!

"Stay with us, Megan." David crooned to her.

NUMB3RS

It was well passed dinner time when the team was allowed into Megan's room. She was conscious and stable after her surgery. Colby, David, and Don stood about her bed. Don had not shaved all day and looked like hell she noticed.

"Pierce Brenner got Crystal Hoyle pregnant and then found a lawyer sleazy enough to do the dirty work." Megan said.

"Yeah, yeah. We're all over it…Adan Benton." Don said standing next to her with his hands in his back pockets. "Paid him fifty Gs, right?"

"He was too smart to leave a straight trail to a fifteen year old pregnant girl, so he farmed out some of his dirty work to one of his regular clients." Colby said leaning on her tray.

"Billy Rivers." David said. "Who knows where that kid ended up? Turns out this whole thing wasn't just about payback after all."

"No, I think killing Brenner was Crystal's way of symbolically making room for Buck as the surrogate father, and once that affair was uncovered, which was totally rooted in all the childhood traumas, it was like the floodgates opened and now she's chasing a sixteen year old fantasy of love and family." Megan said looking about her at the men who all were nodding.

"Well, Rivers is thoroughly lawyered up and we're going to have a hell of a time trying to dig up a fifteen year old black market baby." Colby said.

"We sure don't have enough to take on his attorney Benton." David said. "Judge'll never give us a warrant on this little."

"Right, well, we keep digging." Don said.

"Hey, guys, before this gets away from us, I just wanted to say, thanks very much for the really good timing." Megan said.

"Wasn't me." Don said. "It was all you, Kickass, with that gunshot, come on." He smiled.

"It just felt like a really good time for a Hail Mary there, but I was so lucky that you two were in the area." Megan said choking up a bit.

"No. That wasn't all luck." Colby said.

"Ooh, my friend Charlie." She said and grinned.

"Yeah, he invented a whole new search pattern." David said straightening up. "I think he's calling it the 'Reeves Variation.'"

All chuckled at that.

"Oh, man, you get kidnapped for a day, you miss a lot around here." Megan said.

"I still don't understand why Crystal grabbed you." David said. "I mean, she's smart enough to know we weren't going to release Buck."

"I think she feels like she failed to protect one child and she didn't want to see the same thing happen to another." Megan said. "I don't know, maybe she just subconsciously wanted her story told. But you know, the whole time we were in there, she was outside the motel on a pay phone."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're on the phone dump." Don assured her. "Don't you worry, all right, you just get your rest. We're supposed to let you get rest, so let's go, guys."

"Okay." Megan said.

"Good job." Don said smiling at her. "Glad you're all right."

David touched her hair and smiled as they walked out.

"Charlie never gave _me_ a variation." Don said in a semi-pouting voice that made the others laugh.

"Hey, is she okay?" Charlie asked walking up with Zephyr in his arms. Larry followed holding flowers and Annie. Both girls were in their PJs and looked ready for bed.

"Yeah, yeah, she's fine, but you guys got to keep it short, all right." Don said shutting the curtain. "What are you two doing up?" He asked looking at his girls then their uncle. "You are going to get me in trouble with their mother. It is way passed their bedtime."

"Megan wanted to see them when she talked to me." Larry said.

"And Zephyr told me she wanted to see her."

"Charlie…Zephyr signs. She doesn't talk." Don said.

"Actually, she is very articulate." Larry said.

Don just rolled his eyes and turned to sign some papers. Larry passed Annie to Charlie as he ducked in with the kids to see Megan.

"Hi Megan." Charlie said. "Look who is here to see you."

"Oh, my angels!" Megan said with a smile. She signed to Zephyr as Charlie set her on the bed. How are you? 

"Auntie Megan." Zephyr said and climbed up to hug Megan.

Megan patted her back with her good arm and then froze. She pushed her back a little. "Did you just speak to me?"

"Yes." Zephyr smiled.

Megan looked at Charlie who shrugged and smiled. "She has been talking for a while now. She just seems to talk to certain people though. Not her parents."

Megan chuckled. "You are as stubborn as your father."

Annie crawled up and sat next to Megan cuddled between her good arm and her body.

"Mee-gan." She said and grinned.

Colby ducked his head in after taking a phone call. "Col-buzz!" Annie giggled.

He chuckled. "Hey imp." He said. "I am here to make sure the hellions do not cause you too much distress."

Larry ducked in with his flower bouquet. "These are for you. Zephyr liked the daisies." He smiled and handed them to Megan as he came to her bedside.

"Pretty for Auntie Megan." Zephyr said.

Colby's mouth dropped as Zephyr launched into telling her about the flower shop. Megan listened, but looked at Larry who smiled affectionately.

"I needed a woman's thoughts on what to get you and since Espa is elsewhere in the cosmos…"

"What? Where is Espa?" Megan asked cuddling with the warm bodies of the two girls and finding a strange comfort in their baby shampoo smell and big brown eyes that held nothing but innocence.

"Her father died." Charlie said. "She is in Idaho."

"I am sorry. Tell her for me." Megan said.

"Sure." Colby nodded.

After about twenty minutes of cuddling Don poked his head in. "Okay. We need to let her rest everyone."

"But, Daddy…" Annie said sitting up.

"Come one little imp." Colby said reaching over and plucking her up into his arms. Annie smiled and waved.

"Bye-bye." She said and then stifled a big yawn. She rubbed her eyes as Colby carried her to Don's arms.

Zephyr kissed Megan's cheek. Get well. She signed to Megan. I love you. 

Megan smiled and returned the sign as Charlie lifted her up.

Last out of the room was Larry who flashed a smile and then shut the curtain to let his girlfriend rest for the night.

NUMB3RS

Back at the Eppes house, Don walked in with the sleeping Annie in his arms. Zephyr was resting on Charlie and also asleep from the car ride. They were carried up to bed in Don and Espa's former room that had been converted into a grandchild's room for now.

Both were out like lights and did not wake when Don laid them down for bed.

He walked downstairs as Charlie went before him and out into the garage to work on some problems from Cal-Sci.

Don got a call from Espa. "Hey honey. We found Megan."

"Thank God. How is she?"

"Good. Tired." Don said. "How are you?"

"We have the funeral set for two days from now." She said. "I need to have you around. I can not handle all the things alone. We can come back and deal with things at the house."

"Sure honey." He said.

"Do you want to talk to Lupe?"

"Is she awake?"

"Yeah."

"Sure." Don said.

Don heard the phone being passed. He heard Espa move out of the room as the floorboards creaked beneath her feet. "Hello?" A young voice said.

"Hey Munchkin." He said softly. "How are you holding up?"

"Better than Mouse? She is crying all the time."

"She's pregnant." Don said. "Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yeah." She said.

It was weird. She sounded like she had not cried about it. He wondered if it had hit her yet. She could still be in shock. She was now without a dad she had been alone with for years.

"Good." He said. "I should let you sleep. I need it. It has been a hell of a day."

"Yeah, mouse told me. All right. I will call you tomorrow."

"All right. Tell your sister I love her and I love you too sweetheart." Don said.

"Sure. Love you too. Bye Don."

The phone clicked. Don sighed. He dropped onto the couch in the living room. He had no desire to go back to the apartment. Espa was not there, Edgerton might be there, but he needed to be with family now. He took off his shoes and pulled a blanket over his feet as he laid back to get comfortable.

Alan walked in and found his son in the semi darkness.

"Hey." Don said looking up as he rubbed his eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. Only had a few hours…I didn't want to waste it going back to the apartment." Don sounded beat. Alan watched his son carefully.

"How's Megan?"

"Oh, she's going to be okay." Don said. "You can go visit her in the morning if you want."

"Yeah." Alan nodded as he leaned on a chair. "How is your wife?" Alan asked. "I mean, I know that her father died and all, but why aren't you with her?"

"I had to find my agent. Espa understood that." Don said looking up at him not liking the accusing tone in his father's voice. He sighed. "I can't stop thinking about how far I would have gone to get her back."

"Who Megan or your wife?" Alan asked. "You nearly lost your wife and you pushed your ethics to win her back. You pushed them again to get Megan back. I mean, how far did you go?"

Don was silent as he looked about.

"Oh." Alan said. He dropped into the seat near Don. "Hey, uh, remember when you were in Little League and you got beaned?"

"What, you mean when John Kinsella thought I was crowding the plate?" Don asked looking over at him.

"Well, you were crowding the plate." Alan said matter-a-factly. "I blame myself for not telling you to back off, but, um…I took it out on your coach. I told him to meet me in the parking lot."

"What?"

"My point is that, um, when you care about people, and feel responsible for them, it can blind your good sense."

"Yeah, well, that's the question…when's it come back?" Don said rolling his head back. "Or does it?"

"Well, in my case, it was right at the moment that I realized that Coach McGuinness was a Golden Gloves boxer." Alan said chuckling. Don chuckled. "You see, when you wrestle with your choices, you can take that as a sign that good sense will return. Sooner or later."

There was a moment of silence while father and son reflected on what had been said. "Yeah, so what's up with the condo?" Don asked.

"Oh, I narrowed it down to two."

"You know, Dad…" Don sighed. "I kinda hated my apartment on my own. Now it is better with a wife and kids, but I still really like it here, you know. This is home."

"Relax, they both have tennis courts."

"Well, what I mean is…I mean, I don't know if you notice, but I'm, we're over here a lot."

"No really?" Alan said sarcastically.

"Yeah. And when I was on my own I had a second room. I kept thinking I should so something with it. It was full of boxes that were there for, what, two years?"

"Are you suggesting that I not move out?"

"No, what I'm saying is, just don't underestimate how great it is to have somebody to come home to talk to."

"Espa really is good for you isn't she."

"Yeah." Don said. "I miss her. I could not stand going to the apartment and only having her pillow to cuddle with."

NUMB3RS

Amita met with Charlie in the garage. They talked about their relationship and where it was going, or not going as the case was.

NUMB3RS

Morning had Don and Edgerton walking to the FBI building together. They were wondering of she was leaving. Don told Edgerton that he got tunnel vision when he was man hunting and that was why he had to give it up since it changed him.

Colby came out and told them that the phone dump revealed two calls to the Washington DC office and the NCIC. Hoyle had Megan's purse and her ID and could get into the federal database. That was why she grabbed Megan. She was looking for Billy Rivers and his attorney.

Don sent Colby to look into it.

NUMB3RS

Adam Benton was found dead in his office. Papers were scattered all over. Files were missing. Hoyle had a lead on them and the files she needed to find her daughter. The FBI did not know where to begin. So the chase was on again.

NUMB3RS

Larry helped Megan sneak out of the hospital. Megan needed to go out and find Crystal Hoyle's daughter before Hoyle did so Hoyle would not mess her up like she did her own life.

Larry points out that they are looking for a desperate couple who want a baby so badly that they would take a black market baby. He suggests they look for the end point of the girl not the beginning. They can find her with doctors and SSNs.

NUMB3RS

Megan set Charlie and Amita to work on trying to find a needle in a haystack with the social security numbers of babies from the approximate time frame that Hoyle's baby would have been born. They used a computer to sift through all the numbers to find the one they need.

NUMB3RS

Megan and Colby meet the Crystal's daughter. No one was there. Megan gets a call and it is Crystal. She is amazed how beautiful she is. Megan wants her to turn herself in. Hoyle refuses until she has talked to Buck. She will talk long enough for them to trace the call and let them find her.

Within thirty minutes David had Buck on the phone with Crystal. He listened into the conversation. Don and Edgerton were also listening in. After a bittersweet goodbye Crystal hung up. The GPS got her and she was moving south on the highway toward Mexico. She had nothing more to stay for. Buck and she were heartbroken.

NUMB3RS

Don and the team with Edgerton set up a roadblock. Hoyle came to about a mile away and stopped with two police cars behind her. Megan called her and told her to give up. Hoyle refused and told her to get out of the way.

She took a grenade and armed it speeding ahead to ram the roadblock. Edgerton made ready to take the shot to stop her, but a shot rang out before he could fire. He looked over. Don had fired and was making ready to again.

The car stopped and Hoyle was slumped against the horn. Then the car exploded and everyone ducked back. Megan sighed and moved to lead the team to clean it up. Edgerton watched Don walk back to his SUV.

NUMB3RS

Larry and Megan walked together at Cal-Sci by moonlight. Larry was trying to explain his love for her, but got wrapped up in cosmic metaphors. She decided after a time to shut him up and so she surprised him by kissing him on the bridge over on of the reflection pools.

NUMB3RS

Edgerton waited in LA for another day. He had moved into his Avalanche and waited for Espa to return before he left LA to take on another case elsewhere. He said goodbye to the kids and gave them FBI coloring books and a new set of crayons for each as well as a kid make-up set. Don just shook his head realizing his daughters had another uncle to spoil them rotten.

He and Don met Lupe and Espa at the airport. The two were some of the first off the plane.

Edgerton watched Don hug and kiss his wife who looked warn and pale before he stepped forward.

Lupe hugged Don and he ruffled her hair playfully as he hugged her.

He put out his hand. "It was a pleasure Mrs. Eppes. I thank you for your hospitality."

Espa smiled and knocked his hand away to hug him. He was startled and then hugged her feeling her belly press against him. "My name is Espa, Ian, and if you are ever here again, I insist you come and see us."

He chuckled. "You got it." He smiled. "Eppes look after them and the girls will you." He offered Don a hand. Don shook it. He then reached out and boldly put his hand on Espa's belly. "Especially this one." Don and Espa were shocked by that gesture. He smiled and turned to walk away.

Don watched him go and then led the two daughters of Ysidro Urriolabetia to his car. He drove them home. It was dark and the two Eppes daughters were in bed already, which was all for the best. They would have been buzzed up royally if Lupe and Espa had put them to bed.

Espa smiled as she walked in and saw Alan in the kitchen. She made herself some herbal tea. "Dad had something interesting in his will." She said without preamble.

"Oh?" Alan asked.

"Yeah." She brought the document out. "You are the sole guardian for Lupe and her share of the estate is to be in trust." She said.

"This was changed less than two months ago." Alan said looking at her as she walked to the door.

She sighed. "Maybe he heard footsteps." She shrugged.

Don came downstairs after having a talk with Lupe before she went to bed. Espa went and dropped into a chair. Charlie was seated before her on the floor playing golf on his Xbox.

"You have to earn a birdie on this par four." The announcer on the game said.

"Hey." Charlie said nodding his sister-in-law as she settled. "You okay?

"I am not ready to talk about it." She said softly and sipped her tea.

He nodded and looked to his brother as he removed his jacket. "Hey."

"Hey." Don said.

"You get her?" Charlie asked. He had been in meetings much of the last couple of days and was out of the loop.

Don nodded.

"Bad, huh?"

"Yep." Don said. He sighed and walked over to see what his wife and his brother were up to. He reached up against the ceiling beam and leaned on it with both arms. "Oh, golf?"

"Yeah, I thought I'd remove the physical aspect of the game." Charlie said. "Maybe then I can, uh…"

"Game your way into a lower handicap?" Don asked.

"Yeah."

"Thought you were done with this sport."

"Yeah, I thought I was, too, and then I…kinda got into trouble with Amita." Charlie said.

"And golf gets you out of it?" Don asked raising his eyebrows. Charlie nodded a little. Don's eyes flicked to his wife and then back. If only his arguments were so easy to get out of, but normally girls and a round of lovemaking got him out of the doghouse, but he was not about to tell his kid brother that. "Well, you're the man, Charlie." He dropped his hands down. "You know what? You shouldn't use your driver, you should use the three wood there." Don said sitting down beside Charlie. He folded his legs up Indian style and looked at the monitor.

"Because…?"

"Because of the green." Don said pointing. He removed his shoes and made himself more comfortable.

"Don, let him learn." Espa said from behind them.

Don ignored her. "Here. I'll show you." Don said reaching for the controller.

"All right, just show me. Just show me then." Charlie said.

"Well, I will…"

"Why do you have to try…?"

"Well, give me the thing." Don said pulling on the controller.

"Boys. Don't make me get up and put you in time out." Espa said from behind them a laugh behind her words as she watched the two become kids fighting again. It always amused her to see the sibling rivalry between them.

Don shot her a look and yanked the controller into his possession.

Espa sighed. "That's it…" She growled and wrapped her arms around Don. He chuckled and pulled her into his arms gently so as not to hurt her. She was startled and found herself in his lap by a stunning one armed maneuver.

He stretched out his legs to either side of hers. She leaned back against his chest as he leaned against the chair. Her head tucked under his chin as he kept his brother from getting the controller back.

"This has the ring of a very familiar conversation." Alan said coming into the room.

"I can do it myself…" Charlie protested.

"What are you guys…?" Alan asked.

"Why do you have to…? Charlie asked his brother as Don held a hand up to guard the controller.

"What is your problem?" Don asked glaring at him. "If you injure my wife you are going to get it."

"That's so rude." Charlie protested.

"You're making a very awkward moment for me." Alan said raising his voice. Three pairs of eyes lifted to look at him. "I have to ask my, uh, my landlord for a favor."

The two men kept bickering back and forth over the controller.

"Will you tell him to stop it?" Charlie asked in a half whining tone. "He's hogging the game?"

"Will you tell him to quit it?" Don said mimicking the whine his brother was using.

Espa finally sat up. "Will you two pipe down and listen to your father?" She barked.

"What?" Charlie asked his father as his brother grinned in triumph wrapping his arms about his wife as he pushed the buttons on the controller. Espa sighed and relaxed against her husband's chest needing the warmed and love at the moment. Don looked up at his father.

"I would like to, uh build a private staircase to my, uh, bedroom. At my own expense, of course." Alan said as he stood with his arms folded looking down at them.

"What? I thought you were moving out." Charlie said.

"Well, I changed my mind." Alan said.

"Hold on, so no tennis?" Don asked pouting.

"Oh you big baby." Espa said. "You need to teach me. You promised to teach me."

"Not until after the baby is born." Don said firmly. "I do not want you to hurt yourself…or the baby learning to play. Besides you are not quick enough on your feet carrying a baby." He kissed her brow as she looked up at him. He smiled at her in genuine caring.

"You'll have to play on the public courts, my friend, like everyone else." Alan said in a teasing bantering tone. "I'm sorry."

Don sighed.

"And this shouldn't be construed as disappointment." Charlie said.

"Hmm?" Alan asked.

"What happened?"

"Well, I did a little math of my own." Alan said. "And I, uh, measured the, um, benefits of privacy versus the pleasure of your company."

"Oh." Charlie said.

"What are you doing?" Alan asked looking at the screen.

"Well…" Charlie started.

"You're playing golf!" Alan said sounding shocked.

"Yeah." Don said.

"Oh!" Alan said excitedly.

"Thinks he's training for a comeback." Don said.

"Is that a three wood you're using?" Alan asked.

"That's Don's three wood." Charlie said.

"You can't use a three wood." Alan said.

"He's gotta get it up, that's why." Don said.

"No, no, you gotta use a two iron. Here, let me show you." Alan said reaching down and taking the controller from his elder son.

"Dad, what are you talking about?" Don asked him. Espa smirked at Don's look. He could be such a man at time and a child at others. A handsome child and strangely cute child when he pouted like he was. He sighed and wrapped his arms about her resting his hands on her thighs as Alan moved to sit in the chair behind Charlie.

"I'll show you, you know." Alan said.

"This is so ridiculous, you know. This is my game." Charlie sighed.

"A little expertise wouldn't hurt anybody." Alan countered.

"This is my TV set. This is my own house." Charlie continued.

"Watch…" Alan said.

"Well, why don't you get us some of your beers then?" Don said sitting back his palms flat behind him supporting himself more than the chair was.

"Watch the driver. Quiet. Watch it." Alan said as he swung and drove the ball on the game.

"Great shot!" The game told Alan. "One hundred and sixty-five yards down the fairway…"

"How does he do that?" Charlie asked.

Don smiled. "'Cause he is good." He smirked. His wife elbowed him in the ribs. He smiled and turned her so he could kiss her. "I missed you." He said gently. "I love you." He said against her cheek.

Charlie looked over. "Seriously, get a room, you two."

"Grow up Charlie." Don said back and hugged his wife to him protectively as he rested his cheek on her head watching Alan play Charlie's game for him.


	40. One Nation Under Gods  pt 1

**One Nation Under Gods – Pt 1 –**

12 Million

Mormons

4

Women

3

Members of the First Presidency

1

Prophet

Special Agent Don Eppes looked at his watch again. Lupe was supposed to meet him outside the Administration building at noon for lunch and it was five minutes last. Normally, she was like her sister, always on time, if not early. Today it was different.

He brooded over her pain over the last month. Losing her virginity to a jock star quarterback who was eighteen had been part of it. It was rape with her so much younger and she had no idea what it entailed. Don had tried to explain that and would continue to do so. The other part was the loss of her father. Ysidro had been at a meeting with the people of his office when he had had a heart attack and died at the hospital.

Espa had been deeply affected as well. Espa and Lupe had seen their father buried in a small quick ceremony in the same cemetery where his beloved wife had been buried with her relatives. Don had been working a case and could not leave. Espa had understood, but Alan had given him a guilt trip and still poured it on when he felt he needed it. Espa was planning a wake for her father among family and friends, but she had not had enough courage to set a date.

Don leaned casually against the suburban as he looked about with his sunglasses. Lupe liked the private school program Alan had insisted on. It was a place for her to make friends and to learn about science and other things. It was like summer camp only she lived in LA now. She wore a uniform and seemed to actually be bending into LA school culture better than the Eppes' had hoped. She adapted well, like her sister. It was a good thing. She needed friends who were not in their early and mid-thirties around here. Of course Don would do full background checks and grant approval as needed…naturally.

Don smiled. She really was his sister now, legally. Alan had formally adopted her, as Ysidro had wished. Don would have gladly adopted her being as protective of her as he was, but Ysidro had wanted him to remain brother, not father. That had been a crash course for Charlie, Don, and the Eppes patriarch about girls, periods, make-up, and feminine napkins. Alan had had an easier time with the boys. Mostly because he listened to Espa and Lupe when he asked about such things. Don knew soon enough his own daughter would have such things as periods. That would be about the same time Don locked them in a tower with short hair and only one key to let he and Espa in to see them, but not the teenage boy population of Greater LA.

He looked up as a young man came walking down the stairs with Lupe being carried on his back piggy-back style. Don looked up at them. Lupe was smiling. It was good to see her smile so, but the boy was older and larger. Don bristled a bit.

The young man came to him and looked down at Don who was casually standing with his blazer, leaning against the suburban, hand on hips, open to reveal his white shirt, grey tie, and his duty weapon at his side. He was chewing gum as he worked on his interrogation face. It seemed to be working because the boy looked worried.

He looked up at Lupe. "I did not know you had a cop for a brother." He said. "He is older than you too."

"He isn't a cop. Are you Don?" She said sweetly. "He's FBI." She smiled more. "And he is not that much older."

"Sure kid. I could be your father really, but thank you for boosting my ego a little." Don took a step forward not relaxing his semi-aggressive look at all. "How are you? You are…"

"Philippe Vesco." He said smiling. "I would take your hand sir, but…"

"You can put her down." Don suggested innocently, but his eyes were watching everything the kid did like a hawk.

"Oh, yes sir." The kid said and set her down. She grimaced and lifted her foot up as she leaned against him.

Don looked at his sister. "What is wrong with you?"

"She turned her ankle, sir."

Don looked at him. "Has she lost her voice too?"

"Don, be nice." Lupe said.

Don turned to her and offered her his hand with a slight smile. "I am being a big brother."

"I think it is good you are so protective…sir." Philippe said.

Don looked at him. "Oh?" He smiled and opened the door of the suburban and helped Lupe get in. He looked back at the young man. "Thanks for looking out for her." He said a little stiffly. "My name is Don, by the way."

"Nice to meet you." The kid offered his hand and Don took it.

Don smiled and walked to the other side. He got in and climbed in. "So how was school today Munchkin?" He asked as he started the car.

"Good. Philippe is very kind in helping me around. I turned my ankle in PE. He helped me get to my next class."

"He is still a guy and older than you…" He said turning onto the street to head to the Eppes family home. He sat back and went through traffic.

"He is also gay."

"What?" He looked at her.

"He was checking you out." She smiled at his look at her. "You didn't notice?" She asked. "Not that I blame him…"

"Hey, easy…I'm your brother now. Really. I do not want to hear about that from you." He said. "You are too young to be thinking boys. Remember the last time you thought a boy was cute."

She sighed. "Don't remind me." She said and looked out the window. "Why? I mean there is a reason other than the baby why Mouse married you."

He looked away with a sigh. She was a little too perceptive for her own good again like her sister. He reached down hearing his cell phone ringing. "Eppes." He said into his phone as they stopped at a light. "Good…I will be there as soon as I can." He looked at Lupe. "I need to go to a crime scene. Do you mind hanging out for a bit?" He asked.

"No…do you think there is a coffee shop near by?" She asked.

"Maybe." He smiled. "Why?"

"I don't want to stay in the car and I doubt you will let me walk into your crime scene."

He chuckled. "We will see." He flipped on his lights and siren. "Ready for a ride?" He smiled as he started to weave through traffic with his siren blaring.

NUMB3RS

They arrived in Huntington Park. Don pulled up and turned off his siren. He got out and went around to open the door for Lupe. Lupe dropped down and winced as she put weight on her foot. He laid a hand on her elbow and sighed.

He flashed his shield when a uniform moved to stop him.

"I see a café over there." He nodded across the street. "Are you sure you will be okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." She said grabbing her book bag as she started to limp. "I will do homework."

"All right." He nodded to a uniformed woman nearby. "Hey. I need a favor." He said watching his sister. "I was taking my sister home before I got the call. Can you keep an eye on her? She is going over to that café over there."

"Sure sir." The woman smiled.

Don walked to the caution tape and ducked under it nodding to the large black uniformed man standing there. "How are you Will?"

"Good, yourself sir?"

"Good." Don smiled and walked into the house as he removed his sunglasses. He looked about the office as he pulled a pair of gloves from his pocket. The body was lying back in a chair, his face disfigured from a horrible beating. His hands were duct taped to the chair arms and his ankles were duct taped together. Tape was over his mouth to keep him quiet.

Don pulled on the gloves with a snap and looked about chewing his gum thoughtfully. "Who found him?" Don asked. "What you say Colby?" He asked looking down at the junior agent crouching down by the desk looking at something.

"The secretary…Mrs. Jane Ramsey." Colby said not looking up as he picked up a scattered paper. "The guy was involved with the Mormons. His name is Richard Gregory."

"What makes you say that?" Don asked looking closer at the body.

"The letterhead on this letter comes from Salt Lake City. Office of the First Presidency for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." He said reading.

"First presidency? Isn't that like the president or the prophet or something like that?" Don asked rolling his gum to his cheek a moment as he looked thoughtful. "Espa lived in Idaho. She could tell us."

"Don just because you lived in Idaho does not mean you know all about the Mormons." Colby said standing up.

"Oh?" Don asked cocking his head. "She helped out with the last Mormon murder we caught remember."

"The baby trafficking? Yeah, but this guy is higher up in the religion I think." Colby showed Don some paperwork. "This is a release for forty thousand to the mission fund in the LA area." He lifted another. "A contractor contract to build a stake center…" He looked up. "The hell is a stake center?"

"No idea, but I bet we can find out." Don smiled looking up from the file.

About an hour later Colby sighed. Don was sending him to go to talk to the LDS church hierarchy in the LA basin. He also had been sent to round out Lupe Eppes and take her home since Don was working.

He walked across the street to where Lupe was lounging reading a large English book. He coughed gently nodding to the uniform, dismissing her. "Hey Lupe." He said. "Wow…I think that book weighs more than you do." He smiled.

She looked up. "Agent Granger." She said formally. "Where is Don?"

"Busy. He asked me to run you home." He smiled at her. "And my name is Colby, unless you want me to call you Miss Eppes." He grinned at her face. "Don said you turned your ankle. Let me help you. My car is just right there." He said offering her a hand. She got up and he leaned over and collected her book bag. "My God. What the hell are they having you study? Bricks?"

She chuckled at him. She used him to help her walk to his car. Once she was safely inside he shut the door and got into the drivers seat. It was a pleasant drive to the Eppes home in Pasadena. On the way they talked about mundane things like school and her new friends. Colby found himself liking her as much as he liked her sister. The young mid teenager was a lot more mature than many her age.

NUMB3RS

Don stood in the war room with his hands on his hips. His jacket was sitting at his desk in the bullpen on the back of his chair. He had loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves in his normal fashion. He gazed at the crime scene photos on the monitor before him. He was waiting on news from the Salt Lake City Bureau office.

Megan walked into the war room. "Hey. We have a problem."

"What?" He asked turning to look at her his dark eyes watching.

"Um, well, there are four women here. They were sent over by the medical examiner because he doesn't know who to release the body to." She said.

"The next of kin. What is so hard about that?" Don said looking away from the photos to look at her.

"That is the thing. There are four Mrs. Gregorys." She said looking at him. "All with marriage certificates to prove they are next of kin."

He looked at her. That shot through his guard. "Oh my God." He sighed and rubbed his head. "Where are they?"

"I have them all separated since they were starting to fight."

"Good idea." He said. He sighed and pulled down his sleeves and walked toward the interrogation rooms. In the two mid-floor rooms, two women sat at the tables with an agent between each of them at the door. He sighed and walked into the first room.

The woman jumped up. "Who are these women? They have no claims on my husband…" She started without preamble.

He lifted a hand. "I'm Agent Eppes." He said coming closer. "I know this is a hard time for you, but…"

"I want my husband's body back so I can bury him. Isn't it enough that you cut him open and looked at his insides?"

"We have to ascertain what killed him. He was murdered after all Mrs. Gregory." He gently touched her arm "You do want us to find his killer right?" When she took a breath and nodded, he nodded back at her. "Now...how long have you been married for?"

"Twenty years." She said. "We had a good life in Salt Lake. He was paid well and he was in charge of the monies for the missions in the West."

"Do you know why he was here in LA?" Don asked as he watched her sit down. He dropped down so he was half sitting, half leaning against the table beside her.

"Business. He was sent all over the place by the Church."

"You are Mormon then." He said softly.

"Yes." She said. "It is the true word and we are blessed to know the Prophet himself."

"But Joseph Smith died in the 1800's." He said looking at her gently.

"Gordon B. Hinckley is our prophet." She said. "He is a good man." She said looking up at him. "He helped my son Jesse decide he needed to serve the Lord and the church by going on a mission."

"Where did he go?" He asked. Don had heard Espa talking about the practice before when Alan had asked one day at dinner when two young men had come to talk to him. They had helped paint the fence, which Alan had appreciated and he had tolerantly listened to them until they had to leave. Espa had grown up in the heart of the Mormon country and hence her father-in-law had many questions for her. Since he normally did not talk about religion, but Don and Charlie also listened to the discussion.

"Chile." She said with a shrug.

Don looked at her and nodded. He was not totally convinced that this woman had not been brainwashed in some way. Her lyric sweet tone that had been rehearsed over and over caused warning bells to sound in his head.

"When can I have my husband's body back?" She asked. "The other women claim they are his wives. How can that be?"

"Well polygamy was allowed in the not so distant past." He said rising to his feet. "Brigham Young had twenty-six wives." He said. "I know that there are people who have more in Southern Utah."

"That was found to be false. The prophet had a revelation that it was no longer for our church practice. The ones who had that practice now are not LDS. They use our doctrine to make slaves of women when they do not understand the words of wisdom at all." She said. "My husband held the Priesthood. He would not dishonor what God had granted him to have more than one wife." She said.

"You seem sure." He said looking down at her.

She looked up. "I am sure." She said.

"Where were you yesterday?"

"At a relief society meeting at the at the stake center on South Temple."

"I am going to have the Salt Lake Bureau check on that." He said folding his arms.

"Good. I know my heart is clear of murder. Maybe these other…other women wanted his money and so they killed him." She said.

He smiled at her. "Sit tight then. Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea?"

"Water if you have it." She said looking at him. "We are not allowed those drinks under the Word of Wisdom." She said.

Don nodded. He walked out. "Miller. Can you get her some water?"

"Sure sir."

"Thanks." Don said. He walked to the bullpen and looked at Colby who was sitting looking at a file. David was leaning over his shoulder looking at the file as well. "She is like a robot." He muttered. "Are all LDS women taught what to say like that?" Both Colby and David looked up

"What do you mean?" Colby asked

"That was the most rehearsed speech I have ever heard." Don said. "Maybe Espa can make sense of it. She reads people really well. Almost as good as I do, but she knows the LDS people better than we do."

"There were like three when I was growing up. They were always together and they were all related." Colby shrugged.

"I have no experience minus the little notes they leave in my door to have me call them." David said with a shrug.

"Stalker cards." Came a voice behind them with humor in it. The three men turned to look at Espa standing there with Charlie at her elbow. "Sorry I am late. I know you called like two hours ago, but I was in the most boring meeting I have ever gone to." She said as she dropped into Don's chair. "Think they would mind if I sent undergrads there?" She asked Charlie playfully.

"They might notice you missing." Charlie chuckled.

"No, it is all right." Don said. He stooped and kissed her gently. "You are okay? Not on your feet too much?" He asked standing near her. His dark gaze was intense and she knew he was avoiding what was really on his mind and using the nervous energy in a different way. He had been very watchful since her father had died. He had been careful and talked to her about her feelings and it had helped her. She knew Lupe was talking to him. Espa had been hurt at first by Lupe's lack of sorrow over Ysidro's death, but Don explained while they lay in bed one night that it was a defensive mechanism and he did it too.

"No. I am not on my feet too much. So what is up?" She asked cocking her head her hand going to her belly. "Got any snacks?" She asked.

"The murder of an LDS church official." Colby said. He leaned over and grabbed her some Ritz crackers he had been eating.

"Someone whacked a Quorum of Seventy member?" She asked reaching for the file. "You're a life saver Colby. I was starving."

Don stayed her hand. "You don't need to look at the pictures." He said. "What makes you say that? And what is that?"

"Didn't you eat like three hours ago?" Charlie asked looking at his watch and then her.

"Hey, lay off bro." Espa said. "You carry a kid and see how hungry you are all the time." She said pointedly eating a cracker as she looked at him.

Don sighed. "She is eating for two Charlie."

"I know that." Charlie said defensively.

Colby looked at Espa as she mowed to the crackers and smiled. His friend amused him greatly and her growing belly, temper, and appetite amused him all the more. He had grown quite close to Espa and their friendship had him knowing far more than he really should about his boss's wife, but…

"It is a classic pyramid of hierarchy." Charlie said. "She was explaining it to me the other day. There are three men that form the First Presidency…" Don's eyes flicked to Colby who started to jot notes down on paper. Don leaned against the bullpen wall a moment. "Then there are the Twelve Apostles. Then there are several Quorums of Seventy." He looked at Espa who nodded. "Classic pyramid."

"And where would a man in terms of mission finance and contracts fit in?" Don asked her.

"I am not sure. I could ask a friend for you." She said. "She is a practicing, though very practical Mormon. Her name is Lynn Hald." She cocked her head.

"Well have her come down her so I can ask her questions too." Don said. "I do not want there to be a media frenzy on the death of a high ranking church official in LA."

"You may be too late. I am sure everyone in Salt Lake knows by now." Espa smiled. "Why do you look so upset?" She asked.

"The case. There are four women who claim to be Mrs. Gregory." Don said.

"They all can't be." Espa said looking up at him.

"Well here is the thing. They all have certified marriage licenses." Don said.

Espa was looking down at the four papers. "Did you see this?" She asked holding up the Arizona license copy. "Her father signed the witness space and the letter for recommendation to marry."

"And…" David looked at her.

"That means that the latest Mrs. Gregory was underage." She smiled. She held up the back copy. "See. She was only sixteen."

"Great so he was a bigot and a pedophile that gets killed here." Don looked at Charlie. "Think you can go over his books. You know look for anything that might get him killed."

"The accountants busy?" Charlie asked.

"Well…I…you catch more…I figured to save time…" Don looked at his younger brother.

"You'd have me start in on it." Charlie finished. "All right."

Espa used her husband's phone to call around.

NUMB3RS

Don arrived home at a little after six. It had been a trying day dealing with the four women who all thought they were Mrs. Gregory. They hated the other women who were there and all of them were hard set on that they were the true Mrs. Gregory and that Don should ignore the others.

In the case of Jennifer, the first wife he spoke to, this had merit. She was the first married and hence she was actually the next of kin. Don had ruled the body be released to her for this reason, but made her promise to allow the rest of his 'family' to attend the funeral for their own peace. She reluctantly agreed.

The youngest Marcie, who was pregnant, did not seem to really care one way of the other. She was still in high school and seemed to really just want to finish school. Don was not sure how she had become the wife of a man in his late forties, but that was their business.

The second wife, Kelly, was suing to get the body back from Jennifer. The two women were like cats and twice Don and Colby had had to physically separate them for clawing at each other.

The third wife, Emily, was the most calm and collected of them all. She allowed Don to do what was needed. She was the elder of the wives and had been a widow before Gregory had married her. He had given a home and a name to her and her children to keep them from the streets. She had also informed Don that when she had been a teenager she had been a plural wife and did not like the idea of being one again. Her second husband had saved her from that life, but when he died she had nothing. She begged Don to find Gregory's killer. Don had the feeling that marriage was about friendship and kindness and he felt terrible for her.

He walked up the stairs and onto the landing. He removed his shoes, at the door. It was a curious custom that Espa had instated, but it helped keep the floor cleaner, he had noticed. He unlocked the door and walked in. He shed his jacket, blazer, duty weapon, cuffs, tie, and started to roll up his sleeves. "Hello?" He called.

"We are upstairs Don." Espa's voice came to him followed by giggles.

He walked up the stairs and froze looking at the scene before him. Espa was in yoga shorts with an old T-shirt. The kids were in their oldest clothing as well. All three were on a large sheet of butcher paper with finger paints. He chuckled seeing the great deal of paint on the paper as well as the two girls.

Annie and Zephyr saw him and got up and went to him. Zephyr reached him first and he caught her hands to keep his shirt clean. He bent and kissed her. He then saw Annie wobbling to him without her walker. He smiled and held out his hands as he crouched down balancing on his weight on his ankles.. She made it to the tips of his fingers before her willow thin legs gave out. He caught her by leaning forward and pulled her to his chest.

"Hello angels." He smiled at them and kissed Annie.

((Paint daddy.)) Zephyr signed.

((I see.)) Don signed back and smiled. Annie crawled back to the paper to work on her masterpiece as he watched.

Espa had paint on her face and a hand print on her belly flesh. From where he was he could see the dark line that went from her belly button down in a straight line. He smiled and walked over to her and kissed her as he dropped to his knees next to her.

"I see you have been making a mess." He said.

"One man's mess is another man's art." Espa smiled. She reached up and drew a yellow line from his forehead down to the tip of his nose. She grinned at him as he watched her, daring her to continue.

"You should be thankful these are washable." He said softly looking at her.

"Why? Now you look like you just got off the boat from New Guinea." She smiled at him refusing to be contrite.

He looked at her and reached into a pot of blue.

"You wouldn't dare…" She gasped seeing his fingers loaded with the thick paint. He lifted them up to her face level with a sly look.

"Oh?" He smiled at her. She cried out and tried to block him as he expertly grabbed both wrists in on hand and then drew his fingers down her face with a grin on his face. The girls were laughing at their parents playing like children.

"Oh you are so going to get it later." She said lowly.

"Am I? Something to look forward to." He smirked.

She flicked more at him and he laughed and flicked back. Then the girls were on them and Zephyr quickly had all the colors of the rainbow on Don's angular face. Annie just held onto Espa and watched.

Don and Espa looked at each other. Family. It was amazing to have. To be loved and play when one had been having stress at work.

After another five minutes Don gathered the squirming girls and took them into the laundry room where the bathtub was and started to bathe them and his face as Espa got dinner started. She then joined then and Don carefully washed her face for her as the girls played in the warm water that was up to their navels. Bath time was always an event with the girls. They were always so entertained by the water and the bath toys.

After both were cleaned Don wrapped them in towels and dried them off as Espa went to check on dinner. Don carried Annie into her room and had Zephyr bring him her PJs. Don wrestled them into their sleeping clothes. They all went to the kitchen to have dinner. The girls were having grilled cheese and Espa had made penne gorgonzola for herself and Don.

Don was hungry and had two large plates full. He had not had a chance to eat much with the case and the women. He made up for it. Espa smiled watching him. If anyone who did not know him watched him eat they would have thought he should be about four hundred pounds. The running everyday and keeping up with his children kept him a lean crime fighting machine.

NUMB3RS

Don sat in the war room the next morning on teleconference with Salt Lake's office discussing Gregory. The man was in charge of monies for the LA mission and traveled there on a regular basis to make sure all was well.

Don pulled up the paperwork Colby had found on Gregory's finances. He had four different checking accounts with each wife as well as an account in his name with an LA bank that had three million in it.

The people in Salt Lake seemed affronted that Don would thing that a man of the church would be so accused of embezzling from the church, but they could not dispute the evidence.

NUMB3RS

Colby and David were looking into the files sent over by the Salt Lake office. A soft cough caused them to both look up. "Excuse me." A young attractive woman said looking at them. She had a badge, ID, and duty weapon at her side as she stood looking at them over the wall of the bullpen. "Agent Eppes." She smiled.

"Agent…Warner…right?" Don said trying to place her.

"You know each other?" Colby asked looking from one to the other.

"Yeah Liz Warner. Don was my tactical instructor when I was at Quantico." She flashed a smile.

Don nodded. "What brings you to LA?"

"We have been investigating OC in the LDS religion for a few years now." Liz Warner said.

"Oh, what for?" Colby said.

"Money laundering, you know, the standard stuff." She said folding her arms. "Your man Gregory was pretty high on our list."

"Oh and why was that?" Don asked. "I mean, he seems like your normal suburban dad, except he had four wives." Don said folding his arms behind his head as he leaned back in his chair looking up.

"Because he seemed to be doing things that the church was starting to take notice." Espa's voice said behind Warner. "Hi, how are you?" Espa smiled at Liz and then walked to Don as Charlie followed in her wake. He was eating a sandwich as Espa came to them and stood with a hand on her belly.

"What makes you say that?" Don asked her as he sat forward to look at the files she had as she handed them to her.

"I had director Hodges pull some strings for me and I found these." Espa said.

Don just shook his head. Liz arched her eyebrow. "What is it?" She asked. "How did you get these?" She asked.

"More bank records and some documents from the church." Don said looking them over before passing them to her. "Esperanza is the assistant director's goddaughter." He explained for Liz because it was clear she had no idea why a civilian would be getting favor from the boss of the LA FBI Bureau office.

"Your man was not a good Mormon, Don. In fact he was not a Mormon. Mormons do not have these values. They go good works, not steal and lie." Espa said. She saw Colby's questioning look. "He was under investigation for excommunication by the First Presidency." She said pointing to one of the documents. "He had a petition in to be reevaluated since he was excommunicated by his stake president to appeal and it is in the First Presidency's hands."

"How the hell did you get this?" Liz asked her. "These are confidential and church documentation they refuse to share with us."

"That is not important." Espa said waving her hand. When Liz looked at Don he just shrugged. Espa looked at them. "What is he did something to warrant removal from the church and if you find what that was, you may find motive to kill him."

NUMB3RS

Colby and David went out to talk to the local church hierarchy. The stake president and his secretary were aloof, but that changed to shock when the two produced documentation about Gregory's excommunication. Those documents are never supposed to be revealed.

The agreed to cooperate all they could. They needed to talk to Salt Lake and the First Presidency before the spoke more. Colby and David left them their cards to call them. They both had a feeling the two were hiding something.

NUMB3RS

"When are you due?" Liz asked looking at Espa as she sat in the war room make notes for Don on some files she had before she went to her class. Espa looked up. She had not heard the agent come in the room.

"Oh, hi." She smiled. "In about five and a half months." She said looking at the woman who was about her age.

"Wow…long ways to go."

"Not really, this is not my first pregnancy." Espa shrugged. "I did not catch your name."

"Liz Warner, pleased to meet you Mrs. ..." Liz faltered.

"Doctor actually. Doctor Esperanza Eppes."

"Don has doctors all over in his family, huh?" Liz smiled. "I have known him since he taught me at the academy. He just came back from the field. Esperanza…not a name that really fits with the family, but I can see it."

Espa chuckled. "My friends call me Espa and it is a pleasure Liz."

"What is it like being his little sister? I mean growing up he must have been really protective. Could you even date?" Liz asked. "I mean, he is really intense."

Espa chuckled. "Yes, he is, but…"

"But we did not grow up together. Actually, I think I would not have been able to handle her growing up. I needed to mature to appreciate her." Don said stepping in with a smile. Liz looked confused. "Espa is my wife, Liz."

She looked at him. "You are going to be a father?" Liz asked. She sounded stunned. "And a wife?"

Espa looked up at her husband. "Why is everyone so shocked to hear that?" Espa asked. "What the hell were you growing up? The sexiest horn dog around."

"Shut-up." He said looking at her knowing she was teasing him. Don sighed and shook his head as he shrugged. "I have no idea really." He smiled. "I am already a father. I have two beautiful girls thank you." He said. "Getting those notes done for me?"

"Yeah." She rose to her feet pushing the chair back. She gave them to him and smiled at him. "I have to run. I have a class to teach in thirty minutes."

"Don't break the speed limit." He said playfully as he walked her to the door. "What are you teaching today."

She rolled her eyes. "Right. Today…is Mohammed and the old world." He kissed her and then patted her bottom as she turned to leave. "Be home at seven if you want dinner." She said over her shoulder.

"All right." He said. He walked back in and sat down to look at her files. "My God, when she is in a hurry, her writing is as bad as mine." He said reading what she had written. He looked up after a few moments seeing Liz looking at him. "What?"

"Just did not picture the most eligible bachelor to be married with kids is all." Liz said coming over. She looked down at the files. "She is amazing what she can get from these people. How does she manage?"

"I have learned it is wiser not to ask such questions, especially when it comes to her gathering evidence for us. Some of it, I am sure is not on the up and up, but she helps get the job done. I mean, look at these bank records and things she got from the Church authority."

"Yeah. We can find motive here somewhere I am sure."

NUMB3RS

Charlie, Don, Megan, David, Colby, and Liz were all in the war room looking at Charlie's network analyze for what the man was trying to do. He was stealing money from the Church and putting it into accounts that were dummy-companies.

Charlie found that in files Espa had gotten that had documents of the confessions from the Stake interviews when Gregory was excommunicated. The man was accused of theft as well as declaring he had the sight of being a Prophet himself and was planning to splinter off from the mainstream.

It was a good cause for murder, theft of church monies and then trying to use them for his own religion. Don ordered the stake president be brought in for questioning. He came in of his own free will from a meeting and saw in the interrogation room calmly, but without a lawyer.

They learned that Gregory was protesting his excommunication, but had been excommunicated for polygamy, not for theft. Theft was for the courts to deal with. The stake president and his associates all had alibis for the murder.

NUMB3RS

Don and Megan walked out of the interrogation room and saw Espa in the war room with Director Hodges sitting behind desks looking up at the video screen. There was a man there sitting behind a desk. Don walked in curious.

"…and so you see the problem President Monson." Espa said spreading her hands. "We need to make sense of this to catch a killer. He may kill other LDS people." Don walked to her. "Ah, President Thomas Monson, First Councilor to President and Prophet Hinckley meet Agent Don Eppes."

Don cocked his head at her and then dropped into a seat next to her. "Hello." He said seeing the microphone before her and the camera aimed at them.

"Excuse me. Agent Eppes will take over. I have a meeting to get to. My thanks, President Monson." Hodges said and then walked out.

"Greetings." The man said shifting a little. "I wish to offer whatever help I can in assisting you to make this affair end quietly and without embarrassment for the Church, President Hinckley, or Gregory."

Don looked at the man. "The President can't do his own dirty work, so he sends you? So you wish to sweep it under the rug like the Mountain Meadow Massacre?"

Monson did not flinch at the insult. "Agent as I am sure you are aware, that affair was closed when President Hinckley apologized for the wrongful deaths of the families." He looked at the camera. "As for dirty work, this is not dirty work agent. Our Prophet would talk to you himself if he was not in the hospital today. I speak with his authority on this matter. He is ninety-seven. I am sure you understand why he is at the hospital."

Don was impressed at how articulate the man was. "I see. What can you tell us?"

"Gregory was being reviewed for his actions of sin against the church. His theft was large and was going to be handled by the FBI I was told." Monson said.

"But you had him taken care of first?" Don asked.

Espa looked up at him. "Don!" She gasped horrified he would accuse the man of murder. She respected Monson for his good will and he was willing to talk.

Monson lifted his hand. "It is all right Dr. Urriolabetia. I have heard Agent Eppes can speak at times without thinking or feeling the spirit within him. More the pity since we could use members like him." His eyes looked directly at Don. "As for your accusation Agent. We did not order his murder, of that be assured."

"You will excuse me if I do not take your word." Don said.

"There is no need to be so hostile Agent." Monson said quietly.

"I am tracking a killer and I think you are stonewalling us." Don said passively.

"If I was stonewalling you, do you think I would have allowed Dr. Esperanza to have the papers she asked for? You really should read our history and doctrine agent. We are a peace loving group of Christians. Violence is not in our nature."

Espa sighed. "Forgive him President." She said. "I will tell him about the Doctrine and Covenants at a later date when we have time. For now he is correct. He needs to find this mans killer. No names jump out at you?"

"I would look to the women the man cohabited with." Monson said.

"Why is that?" Espa asked cocking her head.

"They are were sent letters of their excommunication from the faith as well informing them bigotry was foreseen as against our values." Monson said.

"Wait? So they all knew?" Don asked looking at Espa.

"Yes. All, but Mrs. Gregory, the first woman he was sealed to. She is his true wife and there was no need to inform her." Monson said.

"Ah, but that does not rule her out if the others told her." Espa said.

"I doubt they would have. The second Mrs. Gregory, is petitioning reentry because she feels that is not fair since she did not know about her husband's sins against God and the Church." Monson said. "She also wanted her marriage to be made legitimate because she claims to be his only true wife. The third and four wives are not protesting because the freely admit they would have gone with him to his heresy and perversion of the Word of God."

Don sighed. "We had the suspects here and we let them go." He looked up. "I thank you for your help."

"Thank the good Doctor. She is well known for finding documents for the Church Anthropology. We are always in her debt." Monson said. He leaned forward to flip off the line.

Don looked at his wife who just shrugged at him gently. "Don't ask about that." She said gathering up her work. "It is a long story and I need to get the babies." She got her purse and left him standing there again amazed at how man friends in high places Espa had. Next thing he would find out that she had the president on speed-dial. He just shook his head.

NUMB3RS

Don ordered Colby and David to look into the bank records of each of the women. Then to look at the money in the separate account. There had been several thousand dollar withdrawals over the past weeks they had over looked as Gregory moving money around, but they were all going into another account.

Deeper the account found to belong to the calm collected wife number three, Emily Turner. She had written a check for eight thousand dollars that had been cashed. Don ordered her brought in.

She went willingly. She informed Don and Colby that she could never be a plural wife again and when she had found out she was and that her husband was planning to be a polygamist she had to do something. She hated the idea. So she stole the money he had stolen and bought a contract killer.

Don sighed and ordered her arrested for the murder of her husband and she went willingly with them. She walked passed Marcie, Jennifer, and Kelly sitting with Megan the other interrogation room and all three were shocked at the real killer.

Colby and David saw the body returned to Jennifer Gregory who was going to bury him in Salt Lake. She invited all the women to come to his service and she forgave her husband for his misjudgments, even Emily for killing him to save herself from reliving her nightmare past.

Kelly, however, refused to accept this and had to be removed by two agents. She was ballistic having lost her sue and her husband. She swore the FBI would pay, but Don let her rant as they removed her.

NUMB3RS

Don looked at his watch as he walked in the door of his apartment. He sighed. He had removed his shoes and felt at peace. He smiled as he smelled food. It was just five after seven. He walked into the kitchen and found his wife stirring a pot.

Espa looked over. "You found the killer?"

"Yeah. The third wife." He said with a sigh. "Strange. She wanted us to find the killer."

He kissed his children as they played with their pasta and ketchup Espa had made them. He then walked over to his wife and wrapped his arms about her middle feeling the expanse of her belly against him. "I love you." He told her as he bent and kissed her neck. She stopped and leaned to the side giving him more of her neck to affectionately kiss and nibble.

"Do you ever think about having more than one wife?" She asked, her voice dreamy.

He looked at her as she turned a little and put her hands on his shoulders. "Why would I do that?" He asked as his hands dropped to her waist and he gently swayed with her. "I can barely handle one. Why in the world would I want more?" He asked.

She chuckled. "Never been tempted?"

"Never. You are more than enough woman for me." He told her smiling.

"Good answer." She smiled and leaned up to kiss him. He kissed her deeply pulling her against him. A squawk made then release their mouths and he turned to look at his girls.

"Annie. Don't throw food at your sister." He said seeing a noodle on Zephyr's cheek.

Annie looked at him innocently and batted her big brown eyes at him as he tried to stay stern. Espa smiled and turned back to her pots. She dipped in the spoon to taste it. He turned back shaking his head. She dipped it in again and then lifted it for him. He leaned down and blew on it and then ate the taste.

"That is really good." He smiled at her. "Wow.." He smiled and teased and then hugged her before he went back to the children so he could supervise so there would be no more food fighting, though he was sure Zephyr had started it.


	41. Breaking Point  pt 2

**Breaking Point**

500

Kidnappings

48

Hours Missing

8

Million People

2

Wives

Charlie Eppes was walking out of his classroom. He walked into a parking lot listening to his Ipod. He was heading to the SUB. A van came up beside him. He stepped to the side to let it pass, but the door opened and he felt hands pull him inside as the van sped up. He struggled had and then found a gun to his forehead. The tired screeched as he was thrown to the side as someone was tying his hands back behind him.

He gasped as he looked about and then a gag was tied in his mouth. He struggled and then was pushed roughly beside the inert form of Espa. His sister-in-law was bound and gagged as well as she lay on her side. Charlie bumped her and her eyes did not open. She was unconscious and it was clear she by her torn clothes that she had fought and she had been taken in the same way.

He looked at her face. Her make-up was smeared and she was missing one of her shoes. She was in a business suit with her jacket torn and her silk shirt blood on her arm. Her skirt was hiked somewhat revealing her panties. She was likewise bound. Charlie laid near her and tried to keep her body from moving too much and bruising her belly.

He looked about as the van moved along the roads. They had been kidnapped and they would not be missed for a while.

NUMB3RS

Don Eppes sat at his desk at the bull pen. He sighed and looked down at his files and sighed. It was going to be a long day. He had to go to court and fill out the paper work for the last two cases his team had solved. One was the case of the embezzling and the other was a complicated open and shut murder case. They had been linked.

His team was moving about. Megan was interviewing a man in the interrogation room with Colby. David was filling out work as well at his desk.

Don's cell phone beeped. He had not gotten a call from Espa or from Charlie and that was strange, but not unheard of. He looked down to look at the text message. The sender's number was unknown.

_Do you know where your wife and brother are?_

Don cocked his head. The hell? Another beep indicated a new message.

_I do. _

Don stared at the phone. "What the hell?"

"Pardon?" David asked looking up.

Another beep caused Don to look down. His face twisted as he looked at the image taken from someone looking into a hotel room.

"Don what is it?" David asked.

Don could not answer. David stood up and walked over to him and looked down. On the phone was an image of Espa and Charlie snuggled together in a hotel bed. Charlie's arm was draped over Espa chest, his head in her rumpled hair.

David blinked. "That is not possible."

Don then dialed his brother and got his voicemail. Then he called Espa's. The same. He threw the phone onto the desk as he walked to the break room. He was angry and shocked. There was no way that his wife and brother would betray him. He poured some coffee and found his hands shaking.

Another text came in. He looked down and the picture had Charlie's face next to her as though they had just kissed. He was smiling a little as he cuddled with her.

He looked at the counter and took a breath. How could she? How could they? He crushed the cup he was holding into his fist spraying hot coffee on his hand and on the floor as he jumped out of the way.

NUMB3RS

Megan was filling out paperwork as she sat at her desk. Don walked into the bullpen holding a ceramic mug of coffee and a folder. His eyes were angry and he looked like hell. "Hey, what is up?"

He thrust the file at her as he sat down with a sigh. She looked at him and then opened the file to reveal the pictures of Espa and Charlie. She looked up startled. "Oh my God. Where did you get these?" She asked. She watched Don gauging his reaction.

"Someone sent them to me in a text message." Don said, his voice tight. He put his head in his hands. "I trusted them. How could they do this? The baby…"

"How would anyone know?" She asked. "I mean they are close, but I never…"

"I know." Don sighed and rubbed his face. "I love them both so much. How could they do this to me? To us?" He asked. There was anger, but also a great sorrow in his eyes.

NUMB3RS

"Don…you can not seriously think that Charlie and Espa are…well…" Colby looked at him and then the photo on the desk. It sure as hell looked like it.

"I have no idea what to think. Charlie is my little brother and Espa is my wife. They betrayed me. I mean, someone caught them like that." Don shook his head and looked at the picture. "I mean, I hold her like that 'cause she likes it." He closed his eyes as if to will away the pain of what he was seeing. "She is pregnant and is it mine? Is it Charlie's? So many questions."

Colby sighed and looked at Don. "You aren't thinking this is true are you?"

"What am I to think?" Don asked. "I mean, seriously, look at them. They are happy together. She gave me a kid. Was that one even mine?"

"Don, you know Espa loves you more than most guys get to be loved right." Colby asked. He looked at the picture. "Honestly, I do not think the Whiz Kid would do this. First off I am not sure he knows how to do that, but he idolizes you. Why betray you? And Espa…no, man it is not true."

"The Whiz Kid is not innocent in that department. He may be a geek, but he is my brother." Don sighed and shook his head.

NUMB3RS

Megan was watching the video screen where the three images of Charlie and Espa that had been sent to Don from a concerned citizen. Don was pacing behind her and she cocked her head a moment.

She stood up and walked to the screen. She squinted at it.

"What are you looking at?" Don asked.

She looked back at him. "I know Espa would not cheat on you Don. Least of all with Charlie."

"Look at them." Don said gesturing with his hand. "They are sleeping so peacefully." His voice was angry as he turned away again.

"Calm down…" She said watching him as he began to wear a deeper hole into the tiles of the war room. Megan zoomed in on an area of Espa's shoulder. "Don…what do you make of that?"

"My wife's shoulder…so?" He asked heatedly.

She turned back. "If she and Charlie were lovers. Don't you think they would be naked?" She asked.

"What?" He froze in mid stride.

"They are not sleeping together. They were just put like that. Espa is wearing her bra." Megan said. "Does she wear her bra to bed often?" She asked him.

"No…" He said watching the screen. "Oh my God…" He said. "She isn't cheating…the person sending the notes wanted me to think that. To loose trust in my brother and my wife…" He sat down heavily and put his head in his hands. "It worked and it distracted me from my job."

NUMB3RS

A fax came into the office from Dr. Marie Scott. She had some information that Espa had been wanting for the Gregory murder. Don looked it over and saw that she was quoting from a student she had had about living in a plural marriage and how bad it had been.

Don called the woman up. She was surprised that Espa was missing from her class as well as the department meeting. She had had Emily in her classes and Espa had been using her literary knowledge as well as her knowledge as an LDS member for information. Dr. Scott was happy to help out she could and that Don should call her if there was anyway to help out with Espa's disappearance.

Don thanked her and hung up. The friend knew that she was either very ill or had been kidnapped because Espa did not blow off things like that. More evidence that he had been messed with and he felt guilt about it.

Her coworkers knew she was missing before he did. He was a hot headed fool. God, knew what was happening to Espa even now.

NUMB3RS

A text came in for Don. He opened it.

_You're brother has decided to leave. Your wife still fears your anger I think._

Don called the number. It rang as he attached it to a speaker and recording device. The phone picked up.

"Yes?" A raspy voice answered. "Hello, Agent. Finally, wished to talk about your brother and wife's infidelity?"

"Where is my brother?" Don asked.

"You should look for him." The voice rasped.

"Where is my wife?"

"Hiding. She seemed to think you were going to kill her so she stayed in the hotel."

"I do not believe you." Don said. "Where is she?"

The line went dead. Don's eyes flicked to their technician. The man smiled and nodded as he pointed to the screen. They had a GPS lock on the phone.

Don nodded. "Go hit it Colby and David. Now!" He looked at the technician. "Can you tell me who the person is?"

"White sounding and most likely female." The man said looking at Don.

Don nodded.

NUMB3RS

David and Colby went with SWAT into the dock area. They looked about and found nothing. Something was not right. Colby looked about more and David moved quickly with him as they searched.

David heard a groan. "What the hell?" He said. He rounded the corner and gasped. On the floor, dirty, unshaven, and bleeding was Charlie in his pants. He was shirtless and there was blood on his chest. "Charlie…"

Charlie looked up his left eye partly swollen shut. "David…" He whispered. He coughed. "Espa! They have her!"

Colby came and gently restrained the young man. "Easy Charlie…we will find her. We found you."

"She…she made a deal so I could go." Charlie looked up. "That woman will kill her." He whimpered. "The baby…"

"Come on…we will get you to the hospital and to see Don."

Charlie nodded, but then stumbled and fainted against David who held him. Colby was calling for a medic as he checked Charlie over. The Whiz Kid was hurt and hurt, but he would live.

NUMB3RS

Don arrived at the hospital shortly after Alan. They greeted each other at the door. Don walked in. "Hey, buddy." He said a smile on his face despite the fact it was a front. Beneath he was ripped apart seeing his brother beaten so.

"Espa…is she here?" Charlie asked. "Did you find her?"

"No…she let you go." Don said. "Buddy. Relax. You need to rest."

"I need to work on some expressions so you can find the crazy woman who has her. She threatened to kill her and the baby." Charlie said. He looked up at his elder brother and looked away. "She said she sent pictures of Espa and I…together." He swallowed and looked at his father who had pain on his face. "I swear Donnie. I didn't…do anything…"

"I know." Don said softly touching his brother's shoulder. "Hey, we are going to find them. You need rest okay. I know you didn't touch her, at least not in the way the pictures meant them."

"Pictures?" Alan asked. "Wait? Where is Espa?"

"I will show you later dad." Don said.

The doctor walked in and looked at the men there. "Hi, I am Dr. Jamison." He said. "Your son can be released to you now. He is stable and most people heal better at home. He just needs to take it easy."

Alan nodded looking at his elder son. "Where is the mother of your children, Donnie?" He said as they stepped out to let Charlie dress to leave.

Don sighed and leaned against the wall. At this point it was better to come clean with the man because he could help with Lupe and the babies. "She was kidnapped, with Charlie. We have no idea who. We need to keep Lupe and the kids from worrying."

"No kidding." Alan swallowed. "Kidnapped?"

NUMB3RS

The next morning Colby walked to the Eppes family home. He wanted to meet with Don and Charlie, but Don was the only one there. His girls had been asking about their mother. Don was trying to soothe them. He opened the door and Colby gave him a file.

"Col-buzz!" Annie said smiling. "Tea party. Come have some." She said. She and her sister were all dressed up in miss matched dresses and boas.

Colby sighed and nodded. The girls needed to have some normalcy if they were going to survive this. He dropped down and Annie pulled his short hair into pigtails as Zephyr poured him tea.

He took it. "Oh thank you, Miss Eppes. What a lovely tea party." He said his voice shrill and the girls laughed. Zephyr put a large pink boa on Colby as he sipped the tea.

Don came in the room and smiled. He swallowed forcing down his worries for his daughters. Alan would be home soon and Lupe was already in class. He dropped down and got a hug fedora on his head and Annie attached him with some beads.

He sipped his poured tea. "Well Mr. Granger, this is an amazing tea party is it not?" He asked his voice also two octaves higher than normal.

Colby nodded reaching for an Easy-Bake mini blueberry muffin. "Indeed, Mr. Eppes." He said.

The two men were highly engaged for about fifteen minutes with the tea party. The girls were happy, which was all that mattered for now.

The front door opened to reveal Charlie, Alan, and Megan walking in. Charlie held paperwork.

"Don, I have narrowed the search for Espa and…" Charlie said.

Alan looked at his younger son. "Not in front of the babies." He scolded.

Don and Colby got up wearing their new outfits and excusing themselves from the Sister Eppes' tea party. Don looked down at the map as Colby looked over his shoulder. "Good. Let's go hit these areas."

"On it Don." Colby said heading for the door as he pulled out his cell phone.

"Um, Don…Colby." Megan said and they both looked back at her curiously. She pointed to their adornments. "I am sure you do not want to get laughed at." She said.

Colby and Don looked at each other and sighed as they realized they were wearing the things. They removed them and then headed out as Alan dropped down to distract the babies again.

NUMB3RS

Don drove his SUV at full speed with his siren blaring. His wife and brother had been kidnapped. He had been set up by the distraction that they were cheating on him. It was totally not right.

He drove into the motel parking lot. He asked the manager for the pass key as he flashed his badge. David and Tommy were behind him. They worked through each room, one at a time. The occupied rooms, they let people open up and looked about making excuses for the rooms that were not the room they were looking for.

The last room on the bottom there was no answer and so they opened it with the pass key. Once inside they saw clothing on the floor, handcuffs attached to the bedpost, and no sign of anyone.

Don reached down and picked up the torn short. It read Mother-To-Be Maternity. He shook his head and clutched it to him. Espa had been here and now she was missing and her captor had a lead on them.

NUMB3RS

Don was pacing the war room floor. Megan sat watching him as he did. He was pale and looked like he had not slept in about a year. "Don, I know this is hard for you, but…"

"Hard? This is as hard as it was when you were taken."

"As hard. She's your wife Don."

"And you are my agent." He sighed. "It is complicated. I…she's my life Megan." Don said. "And you…" He sighed and rubbed his head. "I don't know…"

She had never seen him so distort before. She wondered if he had been so when she was taken. "Don…"

Colby walked in. "So we got fingerprints from the scene. Kelly Gregory's prints are all over the room."

"Kelly Gregory? The wife of the polygamist?" Megan asked.

"Yeah. She threatened to make us pay and we passed it off as her grief. Well looks like she acted." Colby said.

"So where does that bring us?"

"Not very close, but we did get a credit card hit from her accounts. She is staying at the Western-Ho Motel."

Don looked at him. "Take Megan and hit it!"

NUMB3RS

Megan and Colby went to the manager of the hotel. They showed him a picture of Kelly Gregory. The man recognized her and gave them the key to room B14 on the second floor.

Megan and Colby went up. On three they opened the door. The chain was pulled and Colby kicked it in. Kelly was sitting watching TV and was startled to see them. She gave up as they arrested her telling them they were quicker than she had thought.

Colby looked around and found that Espa was no where around in the room. The woman just smiled at them as they took her away.

NUMB3RS

Kelly Gregory glared hostilely up at Don and Megan. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Where is she?" Don asked.

"What are you missing something you love Agent?" Kelly asked him.

He slapped the table. "You damn well. Where is she?"

"She is dying." She said calmly. "My husband died and I could not bury him." She looked up at Don and smiled a little. "I buried yours for you."

Megan leaned down. "That woman is a mother and pregnant. Where is she?"

Don stared at the woman. "We are wasting time here. We need to find her."

Kelly smiled. "How does it feel to loose someone you love Agent?"

"You are already going down and if she dies I am going to make sure you get the needle for both deaths, you cold hearted bitch." Don hissed.

She sat up. "I am not cold hearted."

"Then where is Esperanza?" Megan asked.

"She is in the West Hollywood Cemetery. There is a funeral there shortly. She is in the sanctuary." She said softly. "I am not heartless. I just wanted you to know what it felt like."

Megan had to pull Don from the room as he started for the woman.

NUMB3RS

She whimpered. She found her hands free, but they felt like lead. She was cold. She reached up and her hand glanced off something. She moved and felt something against her and she tried to push against the container, but it did not budge. She started to cry finding her mouth gagged.

Kelly had told her she would be lucky if she was found before she passed away from lack of oxygen or exposure to the cold and dank. She then remembered little until she woke. Charlie. Charlie was free and the team would find her.

NUMB3RS

Don walked through the cemetery. He saw one of the chapel's doors was open. He went inside and looked about. "Clear!" He barked to Colby behind him. He walked to the casket and looked about behind it. Espa was supposed to be here. Had the bitch lied?

He looked at Colby and David as they looked about the room for a trapdoor and went into the side rooms.

He took a breath and lowered his gun. "Where the hell is she?"

He then heard a faint scratching sound nearby. He lifted a hand to Colby as he walked in. He ducked looking about. The scratch then turned into a knock followed by a whimpering muffled cry. His eyes looked leveled with the casket. "Oh my God." Don hissed.

He threw open the latch and opened the left side of the casket. His eyes registered horror that there were two bodies in the casket. One was living and the other very, very dead. The man's head was missing though he was dressed in a nice suit. He reached in and removed the duct tape gag as Espa's eyes filled with tears seeing him. He could see blood staining the satin walls that was hers.

"Hey, baby, we got you…" Don whispered.

Colby joined Don and felt ill. "That woman…" He growled.

"Excuse me…can't you even leave the dead in piece?" A woman barked. Don looked back at the middle aged black woman.

David quickly came to her as Don and Colby gently lifted Espa out to the dismay of the women who had started to file into the chapel for the funeral. Don laid Espa on the ground as he whispered to her softly. David called for an ambulance as he registered the blood on the dress she wore.

Espa was shaking and whimpering as Don stroked her head trying to soothe her. He removed his flack jacket and pulled off his jacket and wrapped it about her shoulders as he propped her knees with a stack of books David had made for that purpose. She was hypothermic and bleeding and the pregnancy was aggravating shock and the lack of circulation.

"I'mmmm….sorrrrry." Espa managed looking up at him through her tears.

Don looked at her bruised face. "Shhh…Charlie told me." He said gently. "Relax. I know what happened." Colby pulled off his own jacket and wrapped it about her legs and abdomen. He looked her over seeing the wounds. They all seemed superficial, but they had bled.

She nodded and locked eyes with him. "It hurts." She whispered.

"I know. Hold on." Don said gently caressing her face. "Keep your eyes on me." He said gently, but firmly. "Espa…" He said tapping her face gently as she started to drift into the blackness that was calling her.

She opened her eyes startled again awake, but soon her eyes started to drift again.

As the paramedics rushed in her eyes rolled back and she passed out from the pain and relief of being found. Don told them she was pregnant and they quickly loaded her up onto the stretcher. Don left David in charge and went with them to make sure she was well.

NUMB3RS

After three hours of surgery, Espa was downgraded to med-surg and could see her family. Don was there as she woke and smiled down at her gently. "Hey." He whispered. His hand gently rubbing her hair.

"Hey." She said, her throat was raw from the tube in it. She blinked the sleep from her eyes as she realized Charlie, Alan, Megan, Larry, Colby, and David were all with Don in the private room.

"Charlie…" She whispered as he came to and took her IVed hand softly. "Oh…" She started, but could not finish as tears chocked her.

"You look like hell kid." He said.

"So do you." She said softly with a hint of a smile. Her eyes flicked to Don. Then she looked at her room. There were all kinds of flowers there. The bouquet near her head read 'Get well soon – Love Marie Scott. That made her smile that her friend had given her daises, the flowers she hated. Beside that were some roses from Don and Charlie. Another arrangement from Susanne and her family…

Don pressed a kiss to her brow as he bent over the bed bar. She turned back to him. "You are the bravest woman I know." He whispered to her. "I love you." She tilted her head to him and he kissed her softly, mindful of her split and bruised lips. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" She asked softly.

"Doubting you and my brother." He swallowed. "I could not believe I questioned my trust in you." He lifted his head and smiled as he stroked her hair gently. Everyone about her offered smiles and get well wishes.

As they went to file out Espa gasped. They paused. Don looked down at her and took her hand. "Espa…are you in pain?" He asked. His eyes dropped to her belly where her hand went. Fearing she was in labor or worse, Colby turned to go fetch a nurse when Espa shook her head.

Her face softened and she smiled up at him. "No…just startled." She said hoarsely. She took Don's hand and laid it on her abdomen. She pressed his hand against her and smiled as she saw his face go from worry to wonder as he felt his child within her moving for the first time.

Alan walked to his son. "What is it?" He asked noting Don had relaxed visibly.

"Our child has said hello." Don smiled at his wife and then caressed around her belly as the others smiled and laughed. His wife was safe. He sighed and kissed her holding her close. He swore to himself he would never feel so again. He had stretched his ethics too much in resent weeks and it had fatigued him. Espa was safe now and he would see she stayed that way.


	42. Longshot

**Longshot**

6

Furlongs

6

Winners

6

Bodies

Pick

6

Don Eppes looked at his wife. It was Wednesday afternoon and he had been able to sneak home for lunch since it was a slow day. Espa was folding laundry in the upstairs living soon listening to her CD walkman before she had to go to her office for her five o'clock class. She let the fan blow on her as well as the central AC. She was large and hot.

She was surprised to see him there. She smiled at him. He had been pulling several long days to solve a case recently and yesterday had been his first goodnights sleep in about a week. He still looked fatigued.

She had recovered well from her ordeal, but Don was very watchful that he would not do anything to upset anyone enough to go after his family. What if it had been his babies? He could hardly forgive himself for Espa's kidnapping.

"Are you always doing laundry?"

"There is about four days worth and we have two kids." She smiled at him as he reached to fold socks for her. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company husband?"

"You went to the doctor and I wanted to know how it went." He said simply.

She shrugged. "I know what I am giving you." She said with a grin.

"Oh? What?" He asked his eyes bright.

She looked at him amused. "I will never tell. It is a surprise. I remember what happened last time and so I am not going to tell you anything." She said.

"That is not fair. I want to know." He pouted a little and she just smiled and looked down. "I am paid to make people talk." He said playfully. She just shrugged at him refusing to look at him lest the secret be given up. He brushed back her hair from her neck revealing the small scar on her chin and near her left ear. He sighed. "I wanted to see you and I wanted to maybe grab a bite to eat if you are not busy."

He leaned up against her and kissed her deeply pressing her backward. She dropped back onto the carpet.

"Donnie." She whispered. "It's the middle of the afternoon." She gasped as he worked to her neck deliciously.

"Do you want me to stop?" He asked breathing against her ear.

She shivered. "I…"

He chuckled and pulled off her shirt revealing her swollen pregnant belly like a ripe fruit. He bent and kissed it lovingly as he kissed up and nuzzled her breasts. "I love you, you know." He whispered. He had been very gentle in lovemaking to her since her capture as if he feared he would hurt her.

"I won't break you know." She smiled as his hands gently caressed her as he lay to her side propped on his hand on the other side of her. He had removed his shirt and she was drawing ideal patterns on the muscular flesh through the thick smear of hair.

"I do not wish to hurt you." He said, meaning more than her pregnancy.

"You could not hurt me." She said meaning more than his fatigue.

He smiled and kissed her mouth and cheek enjoying the closeness of her half naked body to his. He needed to feel her. After her kidnapping he had cuddled her more, to the point of her having to shove him away because she was hot.

His other hand rubbed her hair and her outstretched arm as he kissed and nuzzled his wife with the experience of a known lover taking care of his mate before himself.

A phone rang near them and he sighed.

She smiled against his cheek. "Yours or mine?" She asked him.

He reached over her body as he pulled himself back to reality. "Mine." He grunted and looked at his watch. He flipped it open. "Eppes…yeah…on my way." He said and sighed. He closed his phone and sat up.

Espa looked at his naked well formed abdomen and smiled. "You get my clothes off and now you're going to leave." She said teasing him.

"Yeah, someone shot a kid at the racetrack." He said. "And OC is involved…"

She nodded smiling. "You going to be home for dinner or should I bring it?"

"You would bring it?" He asked pulling his shirt back on as he looked down at her. "Do you want me to come back so we can pick up where we left off?"

She sat up and grinned. "I am not sure…I have to be up early."

He smiled and pressed her back. "Oh, how early?" He asked kissing her, his tongue caressing hers as his hand pressed down between her swollen abdomen and her pants.

She giggled. "I am going to be sleeping by midnight." She said. "The doors will be locked." He chuckled and kissed her more and she shoved him back. "Get to work you horny monkey before you can't." She said and chuckled.

He got up. "See you." He said and left her there as she laid back smiling up at the ceiling. Her husband was an amazing man.

NUMB3RS

Espa was walking through the halls of the Physical Science and Math department when she heard the rhythmic beating of a taiko drum coming from an office. She also saw Charlie on his way down the hall. He saw her, but went to the door of Larry's office.

Espa joined him and Larry was there drumming as he looked into space.

"Why are you doing that right now?" Charlie asked his mentor and friend. He looked somewhat frazzled, which amused Espa. She had come to see him before her class started.

"Did you know that primitive societies believed in using percussion as a means of communicating with the dead?" Larry asked as he continued.

Charlie looked at Espa who shrugged and waddled in a hand resting on her belly as the baby moved in her. He sighed and looked back to Larry as his sister-in-law went to grab a seat. "Are you drumming for someone in particular?"

"Yes." Larry nodded. "I'm drumming for the corpse of my inspiration."

"And banging bongos worked for Richard Feynman, so…" Charlie spread his hands.

"Well, Feynman delighted in making music. I never percuss for pleasure." Larry said. "Actually, I may have before me a problem that cannot be drummed away."

Charlie rolled his eyes and then looked at his brother's wife again. She had busied herself reading a magazine, but he knew she was listening intently.

"Larry, why don't you take a relaxing soak in the Jacuzzi?" Charlie said walking to his friend.

"No. When it comes to matters of the heart, even Archimedes preferred a cold shower." Larry said.

"Megan?" Charlie asked. He laid a hand on Larry's shoulder.

"She's exciting, and she's beautiful." Larry said dreamily. "And this thing that is between us…it's beginning to affect my work."

"Well, what _is_ going on between you two?" Charlie asked taking the sticks from Larry.

Espa coughed a little to his side, but did not look up from her magazine.

"I…have…not the slightest idea." Larry said.

Charlie beat the drum twice. "Well, you never work well with emotional uncertainty." He said.

"Do you think that's it? Do you think that emotional uncertainty lies at the heart of all this?" Larry asked.

"Really, I'm not familiar with that side of you. You maybe could ask Espa. She's a woman and knows women."

"No, nor it seems am I." Larry said leaning against a chair back.

Espa looked up. "He's right. I can help you if you need it Larry."

Larry looked at her. "I thank you for that. I may yet look into it." He smiled at her. "How are you and the baby doing?" He asked watching her as she subconsciously rubbed her abdomen as she looked up at him.

"Good."

"Do you know what you carry, forgive me if that is too personal a question." Larry said taking a step toward her.

"No, not too personal." She said. She saw Charlie looking at her attentively. "But, I have decided to keep the sex of my child secret until it is born as a surprise to everyone. We are well though."

"Well, given your resent ordeal…" Larry looked at Charlie and then Espa. "I am happy to hear things are back to normal for you."

She smiled. "Thank you, Larry." She levered herself up from the chair and gained her balance. "I have a class to teach. I will see you gentlemen later. Remember to call Larry."

NUMB3RS

Don and Colby walked up at stairs at the racetrack. "No real witnesses." Colby told him since he had arrived first.

"Broad daylight here, and no one saw a thing?" Don asked. "Excuse us folks." He said getting by some people. "Excuse me." He ducked under the tape as it was held up by a uniformed LAPD officer. "Hey, Chuck. How you doing, buddy?"

"Hi, Don." The uniform nodded to him and took his hand.

"Well, apparently, the long shot was winning in a photo finish, and everybody was focused on the race." Colby said looking down at the body on the ground under the sheet.

"Uh-huh." Don said removing his sun glasses.

"Found this on the body." Colby said handing him an evidence bag. "Something for Charlie, I guess."

"Oh yeah?" Don said looking at the notebook inside.

"Yeah. Looks like a pretty complicated betting scheme, and there's race references in the margins." Colby said.

Don stooped down and pulled back the sheet to look at the body a moment. "Why'd they call us?" He asked.

"Call came from inside." Colby said. "There's an agent from OC already has and investigation underway." He said pointing.

"Right." Don nodded.

"Apparently, the track ownership had ties to an organized crime group." Colby continued.

"Hey, Agent Eppes." Liz Warner said coming over to them. "Hey, nice to see you again." She said flashing a smile.

"Agent Warner." He smiled. "So you are here now?"

"No." She smiled at him. "I am just here covering while the Agent on the case is at the hospital a couple of days with his wife. She is having their first baby."

"Congrats to them. I know what that is like." Don said. "All right, Agent, come here. What have you got?"

"Owner of the racetrack, Maurice Connors, likes to gamble." Liz said.

"Uh-huh." Don nodded as they walked away from the others a moment.

"Isn't very good at it." She continued. "So, Ivan Tabakian bought up his markers."

"Oh yeah? Ivan Tabakian?"

"Mm-hmm." She nodded. "He's a major player. His crew's into credit card scams, insurance fraud, and extortion."

"Right. No, I know who he is." Don said. "What…what have they got going on here?"

"Well, it's a gambling scam, but we haven't put our finger on it yet." She shrugged.

"What, you think this kid's connected?"

"We found that notebook with the body." She said nodding to the bag in his hand still. "From the looks of it, seems like this kid Danny Roberts, may be helping Tabakian."

"I don't know. Sounds a little thin to me." Don said.

"We also found some betting slips on the body. Past ten days, ninety races. This kid Danny Roberts made more than thirty bets."

"Yeah. So?"

"And won every single time." She said meeting his eyes.

Don was startled by that, because that was highly unusual.

NUMB3RS

Espa was grading quizzes when Larry and Charlie came into her office. Larry was carrying his large drum and Charlie had the stand. "Hello, boys." She said smiling as they set the drum down in the middle of her floor. "Can one of you please explain why the drum is in my office?" She asked them cocking her head as she set down her red pen. She had her hair pulled up into a easy and sloppy up do to keep the hair off her neck. The air conditioner was on behind her.

"Because I had to clear my floor. They're steaming the carpets in the Physics Department." Larry explained to her as he panted.

"And why could you not put it in Charlie's office. It is a shorter walk." She said leaning back in her comfortable micro-suede chair as she folded her hands on her stomach.

"Charles would not let me and since you seem to draw everyone into your orbit, I figured it would be all right here for a couple of days." Larry said.

"And you have a lot more floor space." Charlie said nodding to her office.

She chuckled. "Only if I get to play it." She smiled. "So Charlie. Up for dinner? I can only take so much more of freshman essays on Medieval African and Asia Minor." She said.

"Sure." He smiled.

Espa heard voices outside her door, but could not make them out.

"Hey." A voice said at the door. All three looked up as Don and Megan walked into Espa's large office. Don looked about as he checked out the bookshelves and such about the room. "Wow…look at this place." He said. "I want your office honey."

She shrugged playfully. "Go back to school and get a professorship, agent."

He smirked. "Maybe when I retire."

The administrator looked in. "I'm sorry Dr. Eppes, they just barged in." She said looking quite miffed at Don and Megan.

"It's all right." Espa said reassuringly. "I know I said I did not want any more appointments, but they are FBI." She said.

"Oh, all right then." The woman said walking back to her desk outside.

Charlie looked at her. "You get a secretary?"

"Administrative Assistant Class One." Espa corrected. "They are picky about their titles." She smiled. "Erin, is the department's, but yeah she is often mine, especially with my pregnancy."

Don and Megan exchanged looks.

Charlie looked at his brother. "Actually it is prefect timing." He said. "You…you guys hungry? Espa and I were talking. Let's go grab some dinner."

"I can't get any dinner, but I need you to look at this for me." Don said. He looked apologetically at his wife who just smiled at him. "Would you, just take a second?"

"Okay, sure." Charlie nodded. He walked further into Espa's room as he looked at the book of tables. Don leaned against his wife's desk as she leaned forward.

"Speaking of dinner…" Megan said looking pointedly at Larry.

"I know. I…I'm sorry." Larry said. "I…I just…I've been so bogged down with…"

"Work?" Megan asked.

He sighed and looked at her as he nodded.

"Lawrence." Charlie barked to his friend. "Come take a gander at this."

Megan watched him leave her side as she dropped into a chair before Espa's desk. Don felt his wife touch his back and he looked at her and took her hand rubbing her knuckles with his fingers. He was happy to see her because he knew it was going to be a night.

"It's a category-based approach to…I don't know what, but it's a forecasting system, right?" Charlie asked. Don got up and walked over to him his hands going to the back pockets of his jeans in a classic Don thinking and listening pose.

Espa rose to her feet and waddled to the front of her desk. Her suit jacket top was on the back of her chair and she wore a thin blouse that did little to hide the swollen abdomen that carried her child.

"It's very sophisticated." Charlie said looking at the book.

"No, no, no. This is more than sophisticated. You know what this reminds me of?" Larry asked. "A topos-approach to Bach's music."

"I said '_very_ sophisticated'" Charlie said looking at him and then his brother.

Don looked at his wife and then the two. "Yes, you did." He said.

"Where did this come from?" Larry asked.

"It's from a…a guy who was murdered at a racetrack." Don said. Espa stood next to him and noticed his open collar and smiled seeing the hint of his chest. He looked good in jeans, white shirt, and black blazer over it.

"A racetrack?" Larry said stunned.

"Yeah, and we think he was using it to pick horses." Megan said as she leaned forward to look at the drum.

"Yeah, but if so, this whole approach is counterintuitive." Larry said as he walked to go stand near Megan.

"Well, how so?" Don asked turning slightly to watch him walk by and then turning back to his brother.

"Well if you are trying to forecast a horse race, you're usually trying to pick the winner." Charlie said leaning against a bookshelf.

"But, uh…"

"What?" Don asked.

Charlie leafed through the pages. "But these equations aren't designed that way."

"Ho are they designed?" Megan asked as Larry started to drum his fingers lightly on the drum as he stood thinking.

"They're designed to ignore the winner. Because he wasn't picking the winner. He was picking the second place horse." Charlie said looking at his brother.

Everyone in the room looked at each other stunned. Larry continued to drum.

Don took a breath. "Think you can work out what they mean for me?" He asked.

"Sure." Charlie said. "But first I am taking my lovely sister-in-law out to dinner since you are going to be working."

"All right." Don said. He hugged his wife and kissed her brow. "I want her home at a decent hour." He said teasingly.

Charlie shook his head as Espa smiled. "Oh, no later than midnight dad." She said.

He turned at the doorway and rolled his eyes at her.

NUMB3RS

Back at the office Don and Megan mused why the kid was picking second place winners. They predicted that if he chose the longshot all the time and won that would be suspicious so he did it a little more scheming.

Tabakian would have to somehow help the horse.

Colby came back. Someone had beat them to Danny Robert's apartment. Landlord called into LAPD a break-in.

Megan went with him to the house. They found it tossed and trashed. Colby found a picture of the girlfriend who lived in San Pedro. They spent most of their time there rather than at that apartment.

NUMB3RS

Charlie was at home with the book looking it over. He could not figure out some things about it as he sat there. Alan came home from dinner with Millie and laughed at his son's frustration.

Charlie was thinking and then he got up and left to go talk to Don about what he had been able to surmise from the book.

NUMB3RS

Morning had Don and Liz going to the stables of the track. Don knew his wife was somewhere around here. She only had a morning class and had told him she would be at the stables. She had been in bed in her comfortable flannel PJs when he got home and was nearly asleep by the time he locked up and looked in on the babies.

She was seeing to her two mares that were stabled here. Loki and her filly Porsche were beautiful animals and Don took pleasure in his wife's happiness of having them. He had even ridden Loki a couple of times and it was fun, but his thighs had ached for days after. Luckily, he had a wife who had strong hands to rub his legs and help ease his pain with some rub she had that was natural.

Liz and he got out of his SUV. "So I, uh, did a tour in Washington." She said. "Good for the resume."

"Oh, yeah? What? You miss kicking ass?" Don asked her.

She laughed. "You only think that because you taught me how."

"Hey, you were a wild girl." Don said. "If I recall you had a bit of an issue with adrenaline, right."

"I like to think it's more a hobby than an issue." She said.

"Uh-huh. Now, how'd you stumble onto this case?" Don asked walking along the stables.

"Well, we were running a surveillance on a midlevel supplier linked to a Salvadorian drug cartel. He liked coming to the track, so we came with him."

"What? That's where you found Tabakian?"

"Yeah, we're thinking the drugs and him can't be a coincidence, but so far, we've never seen any product at the track."

A woman came up to them sitting side saddle wearing a regency riding habit as she held a crop in one hand and the reins in the other. She wore a nice pair of sunglasses. Her hair was pulled back and she was wearing a large sun hat. "I thought you would be here sooner or later." She said leaning forward to pet her Arabian's neck affectionately. Loki pawed the ground.

Don looked up and stepped over and touched her knee that was level with his chest. "Hey, how are you?" He sighed. "Should you be riding?"

She rolled her eyes as she removed her sunglasses as she put them on her collar. "I am fine Don." She said. "What is up?"

"Nothing. We are looking into the owner. You know him?" He asked looking up at her.

"No. I deal with his underlings." She smiled. "Hello Liz." She said looking behind her husband.

"Hello." She said gauging the woman.

Espa smiled a little and looked back at her husband. Her horse shifted under her wanting to move. She chuckled and held the reins tighter so she would not go.

Don smiled at his wife. "Be careful, honey." He said as she sat up straighter. "Don't fall." He said watching her adjusting herself. He was not sure how she could sit so, but it was amazing.

He took her hand as she clicked her tongue and walked away. Don let her go and then watched her go down the row. She looked back at him as she put her sunglasses back on as she smiled. He turned back to Liz who was watching him carefully. He sighed. "Now, just tell me if this owner guy…Is he cooperating?"

"Maurice Connors? No." She said as they walked to the stable door.

"Oh?"

"Track's a cash cow, so, long as it is, he figures Tabakian's just gonna keep him around."

"Hey." A man said walking by them.

"Hey." Liz said smiling a little.

"You know, we could shake things up for him with Tabakian." Don said. "You know?" He asked looking at her and smiled. He removed his sunglasses to look at her.

"Risky game you like to play."

"I like to think of it as more of a hobby." Don said with a smirk as he shrugged a little.

She chuckled. They looked in and she nodded. "So that's him." She said. "How you wanna play this?"

"Uh, well, you lead." Don said. "I'll shake."

"Mr. Connors. FBI." Liz said. The man looked up at Liz and Don as he brushed a beautiful black horse. "We'd like to talk to you about what happened yesterday." She said as Don flashed his ID.

"I don't know anything about it." He said turning back to the horse.

"You don't know anything about a murder at your racetrack?" Don asked.

"Well, I'm aware of what happened, but I didn't know the kid." Connors said.

"Really? ' Cause according to some of your tellers, he was a regular." Liz said as she walked to touch the horse's neck.

Don moved back to allow her to talk to the man.

"We have a lot of regulars." Connors said brushing the other side of his horse.

"Yeah, how many of them are stabbed during the races?" Don asked him.

"You're suggesting his death had something to do with my racetrack?" Connors asked looking at him.

"I don't know, maybe with the track's new management?" Liz said as Connors stepped away. She cast a look at Don.

"New management?" Connors asked as he started to write in a log.

"Yeah, Ivan Tabakian." Don said. "You know anything about him?"

"I don't think I should answer any more questions." Connors said.

"You haven't answered any yet." Liz said.

Don's phone rang. He reached down and lifted it up. "Eppes." Liz smiled at Connors. "Yeah, all right, we're on our way." Don said. He clicked his phone go. "Hey, Liz, we gotta get."

"You know, doesn't really matter if you answer our questions. 'Cause all Tabakian's gonna hear is that you were talking to the FBI." Liz said tauntingly to the man. She clapped him on the shoulder.

"Thanks for all your help, Mr. Connors." Don said as he turned to leave. "We'll be seeing you."

NUMB3RS

Colby got a phone dump Danny Robert's phone. He called two numbers a lot. One was his girlfriend in San Pedro. Megan asked if he had a name. He got that and an address they could put in her navigation system in her Acura. The other number was to an off-track betting place, Palomar OTB. When Colby called then they transferred him to legal affairs and told him they would be happy to cooperate with a subpoena. Megan then had him go with her to see the girlfriend.

NUMB3RS

Don and Liz went to Charlie's office. Don stretched out in a desk chair and propped up his feet against Charlie's desk.

"So I think I know why Danny Roberts was focused on picking second place finishers." Charlie said looking at them. "He designed a system that identifies arbitrage opportunities."

"What does that mean?" Liz asked.

"It means he was looking for bargains." Charlie said.

"Bargains?" Liz asked.

"Racetracks use pari-mutuel betting systems where market forces determine the odds." Charlie said as he moved to stand between the two agents before him. "It was actually invented by a French perfume maker, uh, in the 1800s…"

Don rolled his eyes. "All right, Charlie, just…" Don sighed. "I get enough history from my wife. I will ask her." He said trying to move his brother along.

"Okay." Charlie said. "In pari-mutuel betting the odds fluctuate according to how much is wagered on a horse. So it's kind of like an auction where the more people there are that want to but something, the more expensive it becomes. In horse racing, more expensive translates to lower odds." Charlie said. "So, the lower the odds, the smaller the return on the bet."

"So the favorite is just a horse with the most amount of money bet?" Liz asked.

"That's exactly it." Charlie nodded. "And so many people are focused on picking the winner, there's an active exchange of information going on about the favorite."

Don sat up straighter as he listened. "But we're dealing with a horse here that no one's really paying attention to, so…"

"And it can also be a highly inefficient market. That creates a situation where the potential for reward outweighs the risk. There are the opportunities that Roberts was betting on."

"But that still doesn't explain how Roberts won thirty straight bets, right?" Liz said.

"No, you're right, it doesn't." Charlie agreed. "I mean, something must've changed, you know, whether it was in his system, or at the track."

Don stood up. "Right, enough to get him killed."

"And in order to determine that, I need data on those races so I can compare his system to most recent results." Charlie said looking at his chalkboard.

"How recent?" Liz asked.

"Just, like, you know, the races in the past year."

Liz stared at him. Don saw her look and smiled as he picked up a stick from his brother's desk. "Yeah, welcome to my world." Don's phone rang. He lifted it. "Eppes…" His look from smiling to worried. "I will be there as soon as I can." He said. He clapped his phone closed and looked at Charlie who was looking at him curiously. "Espa is at the doctor. I must go see her. Dr. Richard's has asked me to come."

"Is she all right?" Charlie asked, his boyish face also full of worry.

"She said so." Don said.

Liz got up from where she was sitting. "Can you drop me off at the office?"

"Yeah, sure." Don said looking at her as he walked from the room.

NUMB3RS

Don walked into the doctor's office. The receptionist opened the door for him to enter. She led him back to his wife's room.

Espa was lying on a bed with her legs up slightly. A blanket was over her lower half. She turned to looked at him. Don went to her. "Hey, you okay?" He asked his brow scrunched with worry as he came to her side.

She smiled and reached up and rubbed his forehead. "We are fine, Donnie." She said sweetly. "Calm down." He took a breath. "I just was spotting a bit so I…"

"Spotting? Blood?" He asked looking at her face daring her to lie to him.

"Yes, blood spotting." Came Dr. Richards' voice behind him. He turned to look back at her. She smiled at him. "Hi, Don." She said. She came in. Don noticed that Dr. Richards was also pregnant. Very pregnant. She looked ready to pop.

He rose from the seat he had taken up near Espa's head. "Do you need to sit?" He offered.

She smiled. "I am fine. Thank you." She looked at Espa and then Don. "Your wife had some mild spotting. It is nothing major, but she should take it easy from that activity. It is her body's way of saying it does not like that."

Don turned to his wife who was looking at him. "So, no more horse riding, my love." He said teasing. "I was not sure that you should be riding and now…now, no more riding until the baby is born." He said firmly.

Sarah smiled. "Good. I agree." She said ignoring Espa's hiss. "But I also know that is not all she has been riding." She said. She looked pointedly at Don. "And I am sure her mare is not as rough as the stallion."

Don's mouth dropped like a fish, but then he clapped his shut and flushed.

The women laughed as he pointedly looking down.

Espa looked at her husband. "No more riding for you." She giggled.

Dr. Sarah looked at him. "Hey, I am not saying stop it." She smiled and touched his shoulder. "If it makes her feel pretty and she needs that, just allow her to lead so she can control the depth. If it continues you will have to stop having sex until the baby is born."

"Are you sure it is okay?" He asked. "I mean, I can…"

"What stop?" Espa asked. "I doubt it. You are not able to."

Dr. Sarah smiled. "No, you do not need to stop, but you need to be gentle." She smiled. "I know. My husband has caused contractions." She smiled. "You…" she said looking at Espa. "…need to relax as much as you can."

"Thanks Sarah." She said.

Don looked up. "Thank you Sarah. Congratulations, by the way." He smiled. "When are you due and what are you having?" He asked noting how large she was.

"Twins and any time now actually." She smiled at him and then she walked out.

NUMB3RS

Megan and Colby went to the girlfriend. She was a software writer for an IT company. She had been suspicious when he did not show up. She couldn't think of anyone who would want to hurt him or see him dead.

Megan followed her in after telling Colby to hang back so they could talk woman to woman. The girl had a engagement ring and so Megan asked her about the wedding and when it was supposed to have happened. The girl was confused. He never talked to anyone because he was focused on winning his numbers.

Megan asked her if he could be fixing races. She pointed out if he was cheating there should have been money from his winnings and there was none so she paid his rent much of the time.

She was surprised to learn he had been winning.

NUMB3RS

Back at the office Liz, Don, Colby, and Megan were in the war room were talking about the kid Danny Roberts and why he got killed. Don was still trying to find who and why. Liz was adamant that it was not the first time someone hid monies from their women. Megan agreed. Megan knew he was a young kid in love.

Colby got off the phone and handed Don the file on what the subpoena found on Danny Robert's account at the Palmar OTB. He set up the count a week again for the pick six. To do it was like winning the lottery. He did it five days ago and got a half million. That was motive enough to kill for. The ticket was not cashed in.

NUMB3RS

Don lay beneath his wife as she rocked against him. He held her hands in his as she moved with him. He allowed her to have control since it was doctor's orders. He was close but he wanted her to be with him. He gently held on as she rocked with him, her eyes closed in pleasure. He gently moved one hand to caress the hidden place he knew well would give her pleasure.

"I love you." He whispered.

She smiled and continued to moved against him in an age old rhythm. She arched against him as her powerful climax hit her. She cried out as did he did at the amazing force of their peaks. He laid back panting and then looked up at her as she dropped across him.

He held her gently and caressed the small of her back. She panted and them grimaced. His eyes met hers. "What?" He asked.

She reached down and touched his thigh where she had been resting and touched the fleck of blood. "Donnie." She said sighing. "I don't think we should…"

He sat up and looked down. He took a breath. "Are you hurt?" He asked gently caressing her arms. His concern overrode his need at seeing her so rumpled from their previous act.

"No."

"The baby?"

"I think Sarah is right." She said lying back. "We should not have sex until the baby comes." She sighed.

Don looked down at her. "If you feel it is best." He touched her cheek as he settled back. "I mean it is only two and a half months right."

"Yeah." She looked at him. "Are you sure you will be okay?"

"If it keeps you and the baby okay…I can manage." He smiled and kissed her forehead before flopping back against his pillow and pulling her against his side. He looked out at the full moon and sighed as he felt Espa drift to sleep. For the first time in his life he would go without because he knew it was right and not go looking for it elsewhere. Damn, he really had mellowed with age.

NUMB3RS

Liz and Colby arrived at the parking lot at the same time the next morning. They parked their cars next to each other and started to walk to the building together.

"So you know pretty well, huh?" Colby asked.

"You know what Quantico is like." Liz said smiling.

"Yeah, I bet he was a pretty tough instructor, huh?"

"He was just back from the field."

"Fugitive hunting?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "And still getting used to being back in civilization." She paused to look at him. "Any reason you're asking?"

"I messed up a little while back." He shrugged.

"Well, I can tell you this much. Fact you're still here, means something. But I wouldn't count on being forgiven twice." She said.

He nodded and sighed as he leaned against the bars of the railing.

"So, Don got married, huh?" Liz looked at Colby. "For how long?" She asked. "I mean he had no interest to settle down before and now he has a wife and two kids with another one the way…"

Colby smiled. "Espa is a wonderful woman. Actually, I think it was the kids that mellowed him more than her. He still is a tough ass boss, but when you see the other side of him with his girls…" He sighed. "I am happy for him. I would have loved to have married Espa. She is truly the perfect woman for him."

"Know her pretty well, do you?"

"Yeah. She is a good friend. We talk a lot." Colby grinned a little. "Actually, I knew she was pregnant before Don. She was here and threw up in the bathroom, you know, morning sickness, and well…she fessed up to me before she did to him."

"Sounds like you are tight then." She said.

"Yeah. As tight as you can get with the boss's wife, you know." Colby said. He let that drop between them. "I mean, I got designated to pick her up as a hooker."

She stared at him a moment, but he turned away refusing to comment more on it. She leaned forward and sighed. "So Danny Roberts picks six winners for a half a million dollars, but doesn't cash the ticket?" Liz looked at him.

"Just doesn't make any sense." Colby agreed. "His girlfriend said he was borrowing rent money."

"Sounds like he was hiding the winnings from someone."

"That bet, too, maybe." Colby said.

"What do you mean?"

"Roberts is down at the track everyday, right?" Colby said straightening and starting to walk again. Liz started to follow him. "So why place a bet through an online OTB when you could do it in person?"

"Because he couldn't." She said.

"The tellers all knew him."

"So maybe he wasn't working for Tabakian?"

"Which might explain why he's dead right now." Colby said. He opened the door and they walked into the office building to head upstairs to talk to Don.

NUMB3RS

Larry and Charlie were in the garage working when Alan walked in to talk to them and do laundry. The two of them were trying to work out why something that in theory would never happen did come to be.

Both are surprised to learn that Alan was once a railbird and played at horseracing. Margaret was not fond of it and so he had stopped in order to be able to send his children to college.

Alan pointed out that if they left they would make morning work outs. Charlie agreed, but Larry refused because of his childhood trauma involving him and a merry-go-round.

NUMB3RS

Don was tired and needed coffee. He poured himself a cup. He sighed putting milk in as Liz walked into the room. "Hey." She greeted.

"Hey." He said. "Want some coffee?"

"Yeah, sure." She said setting her file and pen down. "So, we may be right about Danny Roberts not working for Tabakian, but so far, I got nothing." She said as she watched him put the cup for her. "Roberts bounced a check here and there, but there's no reason for him to hide money from a creditor."

"Let's see what Charlie comes up with." Don said.

"Back at Quantico, you never really talked about your brother." Liz said watching him move about.

"No?"

"As I recall, you never really talked about yourself with anyone." She said as she leaned against the table. He handed her the coffee. "Thanks."

"Well…" Don turned about to lean against the counter as he stirred his coffee. He held the cup as he sighed. "I wasn't in a really good way back then." He started to chew on the stir stick.

"Well, I hear you may be mellowing with age." She said with a smile.

He laughed. "Aha. Well, let's hope so, right?"

"I've just heard some things about you and a certain professor at Cal-Sci." She smiled.

"Oh, yeah, did you?" He asked. "Never mind the fact you met her." He said removing the stick from his mouth.

"Don Eppes with the same woman for more than a week. I don't know, some might call it progress." She said with a smirk.

"Yeah, I mean, I guess it depends who you ask, right? Hey, I have been married for almost three and a half years." He said smiling. "Settling down is fun. I just was too much of a jock to know it until now. Took a kick ass woman and a baby to change my ways."

"I see." She said looking at him.

"So you do not hear it through the grapevine, yes, Espa was pregnant before we married, yes, she was really upset at me for a couple of months, yes, I married her for her and my kid, and no, my life is not miserable, it is great." Don said. He got up and started to walk out. "So, this kid, Danny Roberts, he's got no debt, he's not working for Tabakian…" He sighed and walked out. "Why does he get whacked?"

"You know, we had a witness, a trainer." Liz said. Don looked at her as they walked. She nodded. "He'd been doping horses. Injecting an anti-diuretic so a horse would retain water…"

"Uh-huh." Don said checking his watch.

"…carry excess weight." She sighed as they walked to his desk in the bullpen. "He was all set to testify for the grand jury."

"But what, Tabakian found out?" Don asked again absently chewing on the stir stick.

She nodded. "He had the guy's hands nailed to a stall, brought a horse in and had the guy kicked to death."

Don met her gaze and removed the stick. "Pfft. Nice." He said as he sat down at his desk. This man did not like to play by the rules it seemed and he had clever ways of executing people.

NUMB3RS

Charlie and his father waked around the track. Charlie wanted to gain his father's insights. Alan explained there was a bias for second place betting. He also suggested cheating, which can be done on the track. He then gave his son his phone to call in his brother to talk since that was a normal pattern of his.

NUMB3RS

Don came to the track as soon as he could after Charlie called him. Since he was having lunch with his wife, he brought her along since they had only taken one vehicle. Don smiled as they got out of his SVU.

"You can stay in the buildings if you want so you can stay cooler." He said.

Espa was wearing a summer maternity dress and loose cotton capis under it over her ever expanding belly. The warmer than average weather was effecting her, but she wanted the sun. "I am fine. Let's go find dad and Charlie." She said.

He nodded and took her hand. "Okay."

Charlie and Alan were waiting at the gate watching the horses and jockeys. Don smiled as the pair walked up them. Alan smiled at his son walking with his wife. He seemed to be more protective than normal because he barely let go of her so she could hug Alan.

They started walking a long the track. "So originally, Roberts designed his system to pick second place finishers, and then something changed." Charlie said.

Espa waddled beside Don as they set their pace so she could keep up with them.

"Yeah, cheating." Alan said. "It was my idea." He said proudly.

"Mm-hmm." Don said holding his wife's hand. He kept looking at her to make sure she was well. Charlie took no notice, but Alan noticed. He would ask them both later why Don seemed nervous about her fainting.

"Right, a…and suddenly, the horses that should be winning stopped winning, and that screws up his ability to pick the runner-up. So then he makes an adjustment because, well, he realized that the outcomes are consistently falling outside the range of realistic probabilities." Charlie said. He paused and pulled out his computer. "It's like a weather report where the forecast calls for a heat wave, and instead there's a freak snow storm. You know, once or twice, that anomalous. You can't predict anything perfectly, but if that pattern is persistent, you've got to assume that there are unknown factors to consider."

"Unknown factors like cheating." Alan said.

"See, Roberts retooled his system to account for those fixed races, and presto. Thirty straight winners." Charlie shrugged.

Don stood rubbing his wife's lower back absently as she stood leaning forward against the rail. "So it proves it was a scam."

"Maybe it was the cheating that got the guy killed?" Alan suggested.

"Yeah, he may be right." Charlie said opening his laptop. "I loaded all the race data onto my laptop, so I was able to run every Pick Six winner for the past six months through Roberts' algorithm."

"And?" Don asked taking off his sunglasses to look. Espa smiled at him as she too leaned to look.

"A snowstorm in July." Alan said.

"Right, at least for the past few months." Charlie nodded. Don stopped rubbing his wife's back as he leaned forward. "I mean, five winners. Each of them won the Pick Six when the races were fixed. That's just not a coincidence."

Don eyed him and then the lap top a moment. He sighed and rolled his eyes. He looked back at his wife. "Well, I need to get back to the team at the office and you need to get to office hours, right?"

"Yeah." She smiled at him.

"And you need to get off your feet." He said. He smiled. "See you guys later." He said as he shepherded his wife toward his car.

NUMB3RS

Colby was working on his computer when Megan returned to the bullpen. She had been at Cal-Sci seeing Larry. Colby teased her about their odd matching, but lets it go after a moment. He had tried to call her because of the new info that Charlie had given them.

Megan was looking at the bank records for Celia Martinez. She was one of the Pick Six winners linked to the cheating. The last transaction was to an Estate Trust. Megan thought she was dead. Sure enough, she was. Granger and she go through the others and they all had died shortly after winning. There was something not right with that.

NUMB3RS

Don, and Charlie were in the war room looking over documents that Colby had found.

Don looked up at his brother as he sat down in one of the chairs. "You know, I can't be with my wife anymore."

"What?" Charlie asked looking up. "She is divorcing you? Why?"

"Charlie…no…I just can not _be_ with her." Don said. "I can't…you know…"

"Oh…" Charlie said. "Why not?"

"Because it has made her bleed and that is not good for her or the baby." Don said. He pouted. "I can't have sex until my wife gives birth and then, like, six weeks after that."

"Well some people would say you are getting to much anyway." Charlie said looking back at the paperwork. "Besides isn't it like only a week or two, man? I am sure you can go without for that long."

"It is two and a half months and that is longer than I have gone since I was a freshman in high school, man." Don said pouting. "Some people really like it, all right."

"And some people have wives that can give them blowjobs if they need to have some." Colby said walking in. Don shot him a look. Colby looked back sheepishly and smiled at his boss. "What? Not everyone can weigh in on this conversation?"

Charlie looked at him as did Don. Both of them had their mouths open like fish because they were so stunned. Colby, however, refused to be contrite and continued to move to the front of the room. "Well, back to the case….There are five deaths Charlie lined to the track. Take a look at this." He said handing Don the file. Liz Warner and Megan walked into the room with some coffee. Don looked the file over. "So, you got two overdoses, a fatal hit and run…And the other two deaths by drowning and a fall." Colby continued.

"So all five deaths were accidental?" Megan asked. "What are the odds of that?"

"About the same as all five winging the Pick Six." Don said as Colby shrugged. "All, right, so let's look at 'em as homicides. Right?" He asked leaning against the back of the chair he was near.

"All right I'll get into it with the Medical Examiner." Colby said.

"Tabakian's got to be behind this." Liz said as she sat down.

"Well, then, we just connect him to the money." Don said.

"Or we just pick him up." Megan said.

"Last time we were this close, he killed my witness." Liz said. "We tip our hand early we only add to the body count."

The others nodded.

NUMB3RS

Espa was dropping off Lupe at the house from school. The babies were wondering around the downstairs grabbing out toys when she let them go. She went upstairs with Lupe and was surprised by a flood of steam coming out of the opening bathroom door. Larry stepped out in a robe. Both were surprised, but after a brief hello continued to Lupe's room to look at something.

Larry went down to talk to Alan who was watching the grandchildren from the dining room. He was confused about life and Alan added to his ponderings.

NUMB3RS

Megan found that all five victims cleared their accounts out with a cashier's check. They then cashed them overseas. They have found that the only thing maybe linking these people was Tabakian.

The connection they found was the unemployment office. The two of them go to walk the two blocks to the building.

They found once they got into the offices that all of the people had applied to work for the racetrack. When asked to look at the original days the woman told them it took five business days to process the request for them. The two just sighed.

NUMB3RS

Charlie was pacing in Espa's office. He had had enough of his own space and had invaded hers during a meeting with a student. He had stuck to writing on her boards until she was done and had sent the young freshman home. That was when his pacing started in force, about thirty minutes before.

Espa watched him as she sipped her tea. "You are making me tired Charlie." She said from her desk as she looked up from her stack of paperwork.

"I know, sorry, I just…"

"Hey, all right…so…" Don asked from the doorway as he came in. Espa looked up.

Charlie ripped the paper in his hands as he turned to look at his brother. "Where you been?" He asked his elder brother.

Behind Don was Liz Warner. Espa sighed Don looked at her. She shrugged and shook her head as she looked down.

"Hold on, hold on, we got here as fast as we could." Don said holding up his hand.

"I…."

"Just relax. What's going on?" Don asked seeing how flustered his younger brother was.

Espa sat back. "He barged into a meeting, but has not told me why yet…" She said looking up at her brother-in-law expectantly. "But he has been causing sacrilege by writing math on my whiteboards." She said nodding up to them.

"Look, there wasn't enough data." Charlie said. "Larry said, 'Try to use other data,' I said, 'Use other data?' I…I reworked the algorithm, you know…" Charlie's voice was cracking he was so agitated.

"Shh." Don said trying to hush him. Liz just looked on from nearby as Espa watched the brothers. "Just slow down, just slow down, here." Don said gently as he held up his hand. His brother moved away from him and Don looked at the boards.

"I made improvements to Roberts' algorithm." Charlie said. "I took a look at all the racing results for the past two years, and you know, no not just the Pick Six. I looked at all the betting."

"And?" Don asked turning to face him.

"They were fixing races way before they fixed the Pick Six." Charlie said.

"What do you mean?" Don asked as Liz stood watching him with her hands on her hips.

Espa sighed as Don dropped onto her desk. She was once again in the middle of a discussion she was not really part of, but they were using her office as a sounding board.

"They started by fixing races, like, once a month. Then twice a month, then more frequently. Look, there is a regular progression to this pattern." Charlie said.

"Charlie, we already know they were fixing races." Liz said.

"Right, but now, now we know when they were doing it." Charlie said. He pointed to the boards. "I mean, Don, don't you see? If…if they killed those five Pick Six winners right after they got their money, then what's to stop them from killing all the other winners of all the other fixed races?"

Don sat thinking that over. He was inside just as horrified at the thought as Charlie, just he was not expressing it in nervous energy. His eyes, however, were deep as he thought it over.

"That would be…" Liz started.

"Eighteen…" Charlie said. "Other murders."

"Charlie, that's a lot of bodies." Don said. "I mean, look, we'd know if these guys killed that many people."

"Would you?" Espa asked seeing what Charlie was getting at. Don looked at her. "I mean, not if they were made to look like something else."

"Exactly, not if they were staged deaths that were really accidents." Charlie said nodding.

Don and Liz looked at each other. Suddenly this was far more serious than either had guessed and what if it was true. If Tabakian was responsible he had gotten off with all those murders and since they were passed off as accidents, no one realized they were connected to the mob boss.

NUMB3RS

Colby noticed that many of the people Charlie sound were still alive. In fact it was only six guys on the eighteen days Charlie pointed out. They had to be working for Tabakian since they were alive.

Don sent Colby to run down backgrounds on the people. He left the bullpen to pick up his wife. It was her night class tonight and she had called saying she did not feel like driving and asked to be picked up. He agreed since the babies were with Lupe and Alan, plus they could grab a late dinner.

NUMB3RS

Don walked into the campus chapel because he had been told that was where Espa was. She had left him a note on her office door to come and find her. He walked in and heard organ music being played. At the front of the church stood a choir ad they were singing some very dramatic music as Espa played on the organ to the side.

He walked forward and sat down in the back, but a man sitting closer to the front beckoned him forward. He nodded and came to sit beside the man who was clearly the religious leader of the chapel by his robe. He smiled at Don and his eyes flicked back to the choir.

Espa sang a soft mournful solo, which was joined in by the choir. Don listened. It was amazingly beautiful.

As they finished Espa started to pluck a lyre before turning back to the keyboard to blare out an amazing song that rattled the foundations of the church with music. Susanne, whom Don had not seen before, stepped forward and started to play a flute as another man started on the drums.

The minister got up and played his Celtic pipes. All the people were moving to the music until it came to a dramatic climax. Espa then was back to playing the organ in a different key and softer. Don could tell the song was ending as Espa again played the lyre and slowed it down while still playing the organ base with her feet.

Rhythmic drumming started playing. Don found it hypnotic and then Espa's voice sounded with the choir humming behind her. She was singing Alto which was unusual, but as normal, she sung it through her heart.

As that song ended the choir shifted and Espa went to the piano and started to play it. The choir again hummed behind her as she played showing her skills as a pianist as she went through the pages of the song.

Don looked down as the song ended. A paper had A Celebration of Hildegard von Bingen. First a _Kyrie_, then a song called _Illumination_, third, _Awaken the Dawn_, and last, _Spirit of God_, that Espa was just finishing.

After everyone got up. Don clapped and smiled. "That was wonderful."

The minister stepped forward. "Welcome. We often do no have people come to practice. We are glad to have you."

"I am thankful, but I came to retrieve my wife." Don said with a smile nodding to Espa as she came from around the organ playing station.

"Dr. Eppes was kind enough to play for us. Forgive us for stealing her from you." The man said smiling. "But our organist was sick and Espa is an amazing player. She is playing for us this Sunday, for which we are grateful."

"I can see why." Don smiled. "We will see you Sunday."

He put his coat about his wife's shoulders and they walked to his car. He smiled at her. "I have never heard an organ played like that." He smiled. "It was amazing. Come on. I am sure you and the baby need something to eat."

She smiled. "Well, it is your kid, so it is hungry a lot."

He looked at her as she got in and chuckled.

NUMB3RS

Larry had finished bathing at the Eppes family home once again. The babies had conned him into reading to them and then he had lectured to them and Lupe about the solar system.

Zephyr as normal was full of questions. Alan had caught her speaking and asking Larry questions as he wrote on the board. He came in and she had become quiet. He just smiled and told her it would be their little secret. She grinned.

He and Lupe took over so Larry could bathe and collect his thoughts. He had spent over two hours there. Alan walked in to grab the towels as Larry apologized for using all the hot water.

Charlie came in and was surprised Alan and Larry were both there. Then he asked Larry to look at the book he had. Larry told him it looked like a Blue Book that students did exams in. Charlie had made a similar observation and he had deduced someone else was helping Roberts and had been correcting his work.

So he had an accomplice in his scam and was who was very talented in math.

Espa and Don came home. The babies were sleeping and Lupe met them at the door. She explained all the others were in the bathroom taking theory. Espa started to carry babies out to car seats as Don went upstairs. Sure enough Alan, Larry, and Charlie were all talking in the bathroom. All he could do was laugh.

Charlie explained really quickly what they had found before he and his family went home for the evening.

NUMB3RS

Morning brought Liz and Colby again walking together from the parking garage to the FBI building. They discussed what Don had called them about first thing in the morning when he was getting ready for work.

Colby reasons the girlfriend was the accomplice because she writes software and therefore would know math.

NUMB3RS

Later that morning Don had a surprise visitor in Maurice Connors in for questioning. The man rubbed him wrong and he wanted information from him. Immediately he had lawyered up when they started talking to him in the office, and so it was another hour waiting for the lawyer to arrive.

Don sat in the listening room to Connors and his attorney Boyd as they talked. "Maurice, just calm down, all right." Boyd was saying.

"Well, how long is it gonna take?" Connors asked.

"About forty-five minutes." Boyd replied.

Colby walked in with Liz behind him. "We got the full records from Unemployment." Colby said holding up the files. "Maurice Connors' name is all over their interview cards."

Don watched Liz sit down. "So, wait, what happened to the five business days?" He asked. He dropped beside her.

"I let her hold my gun." Colby said totally dead pan. "That's a subpoena." He handed over the files as Liz and Don chuckled. "Anyway, every single one of the Pick Six victims, they went into the track looking for work. Connors must have directed them straight to Tabakian."

"Wow, that's accessory to murder." Liz said.

"Yeah, to say the least." Don nodded as he rose to his feet. "All right, good." He walked out.

Liz looked up. "Hey, did you get anything on the guys who won the bets on fixed races?" She asked.

"Yeah, three of them had sheets, mostly drug related." Colby said.

"Ooh. Mind if I have a look?" Liz asked getting up.

"Yeah, I'll show you the files. They're on my desk." Colby said. "I got to run, but you can look at them." He said pushing open the door.

"Nice, thanks." She said.

NUMB3RS

Don walked into the interrogation room holding the files.

"I want it noted for the record that my client is here voluntarily." Boyd said without preamble.

"Yeah, well, if it means I didn't have to go out and drag him in here, consider it noted." Don said.

"You have no cause to arrest my client." Boyd said as the two sat down.

Don opened the files. "You know these people, right?" He asked ignoring the lawyer. "Go ahead, take a good look now."

"Don't answer that." Boyd said to Connors.

Don dropped into a seat. "You interviewed them for jobs."

"I interview a lot of people." Connors said.

"How many get murdered after winning the Pick Six?" Don asked.

Connors stared at him. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Maurice, I'm ordering you not to respond." Boyd said.

"You're ordering him?" Don asked surprised. "W…Who's the client here? Look, I got your name signed on the interview cards. All right? That's one, two, three, four, five."

"I had nothing to do with this." Connors said.

"Mr. Connors, it's gonna take a jury about ten minutes to decide otherwise."

"Maurice, you need to keep quiet." Boyd said.

"No, you need to keep quiet." Don said looking at him.

"Let's go." Boyd said rising. "We're done here."

"Walk out that door, I'm telling you they're gonna kill you." Don said as Maurice stood up. "They will kill you."

"You have no right to interfere with the representation of my client." Boyd said.

"You client. Who's paying your bills, counselor?" Don asked. He stood up. "Go ahead, ask him who's paying his bills?" He said looking at Connors.

Connors turned to the lawyer. "Boyd?"

"Maurice, don't make a mistake." Boyd said lowly.

"I didn't kill anybody." Connors protested as he turned to Don.

"I'm afraid I no longer can represent you." Boyd said. He gathered his briefcase and walked out.

"One guess who his first call's gonna be." Don said.

Connors took a breath. "Tabakian told me to keep an eye out for single people, no families. People who could work late shift at his club."

"Why?"

"He told me he was expanding his business into drug trafficking. He figured out a way to clean their money." Connors said.

A soft knocking got Don's attention. He looked and saw Liz there rapping on the glass lightly. He looked back. "All right, Mr. Connors. Just hang tight for two minutes." Don said as he gathered up the files and walked out.

"You remember how I told you I followed a drug supplier to the track?" Liz said.

"Yeah, the Salvadorians." Don nodded.

"Yeah. Urns out the supplier's name was on Colby's list of people who won money on the fixed races." She said holding up the file she had grabbed. Looks like Tabakian was paying for drugs by fixing races and laundering money at the same time."

"Okay, what, they bet with dirty money, then he washes it." Don said looking at the file.

"They even paid their taxes." Liz said with a crooked smile. "Danny Roberts must have just stumbled into this."

"Yeah, along with the girlfriend." Don said.

"Megan and Colby are on their way to San Pedro and bringing her in right now." Liz said.

"All right, good." Don said as he walked passed her and back into the room to talk more to Connors.

NUMB3RS

Megan and Colby found the door to the girlfriend's house open. When they walked in they found the place tossed as if someone was looking for something. When they walked into the kitchen a more horrifying thing awaited them. There was blood spatter on the walls.

The girlfriend was missing, but if there was blood, the could have another body somewhere.

NUMB3RS

Megan and Colby called in the crime lab. They realized that someone had to have seen the girl being taken after she was killed because of the broad daylight. Megan found out with a phone call that she had a Masters of Math from Stanford and was obviously the one whose system was being worked from the outside.

Liz was upset because she lost another witness. Colby got a call on his cell. Someone just cashed the half million dollar ticket.

Megan and Colby went to the hotel where the electronic transfer had taken place. The charge into the room and find the girlfriend on her computer with her hand bandaged. All are in shock. Megan is happy to see her alive and not dead, but she has some explaining to do.

NUMB3RS

The girl fessed up to helping Danny Roberst with his scam. She made it better. She blamed herself for making it so Danny would have won and so she had killed him or at least gotten him killed.

Megan asked her why she faked her death. The people came to her house and tossed the apartment while she hid in the car watching. When it was safe she went in, cut herself for the spatter, and then left to hide.

Megan explained that her algorithm gave them a wedge into a narcotic ring. She also told her they would not stop looking until she was dead. She needed protection. All she had to do was help the FBI and then the FBI would protect her.

NUMB3RS

Don and a full team of agents went to the racetrack to pick up Tabakian. They all got out of their cars wearing their FBI jackets.

"Back at Quantico, it was all about the rush for me." Liz said. "But now…"

"What? You're mellowing with age?" Don teased as they walked in.

She sighed. "Don't get me wrong, I still like kicking down doors."

"Yeah, I know, it can wear thin, right?" Don said as he started to run up an escalader.

They came to the table where Ivan Tabakian was sitting and eating with a group of his thugs. Don walked to him. "Ivan Tabakian, FBI. I've got a warrant for your arrest. Let's go, get up." He said.

Tabakian did not move.

"Let's go! Get up." Don ordered.

"I'm eating my fish." Tabakian said. His thugs chuckled. "A nice sea bass. Perhaps this can wait?"

Don took his plate and flipped it over on the table. As his thugs started to rise agents pushed them down to stay in their seats.

"Hey!" Don growled taking one man near him and slamming him into a bowl of pasta. "Was I talking to you?! Huh?!" Don spat.

Liz kneed the man on Tabakian's left and then reached for her gun.

Colby body slammed another. "Wasn't talking to you, either." He said lowly in warning.

"Get up!" Don ordered loudly.

Tabakian wiped his mouth. "All right. I know the drill." He said standing up.

"Uh-huh." Don growled as he kicked back the chair to cuffed him, non to gently and then passed him to another agent to walk out.

"This time, we got a witness you can't touch." Liz said.

"Let's go." Don said leading the group out.

NUMB3RS

Megan and Larry went on their first date in the new schedule they had devised. Espa and Don lounged around their apartment in sweats after he had come home. Espa had already changed and had been upstairs on the floor meditating.

The babies had gone to dinner and movie with Lupe and Alan so they had the house to themselves.

Don went up the stairs hearing music playing there. He saw his wife in a perfect lotus pose breathing regularly. She was surrounded on candelabras by tapered candles burning softly. He crept on his hands and knees behind her until he was only about five feet away when she spoke.

"Hello Don. How did the arrest go?" She said lowly.

"Better than most." He said smiling. He was not sure how she had sensed him there since he had been quieter than a mouse hoping to playfully goose her. H

He laid down beside her. She opened an eye. "When did you get home?" She asked noticing his sweats.

"Ten minutes." He shrugged. He looked up at her. "How are you?" He asked touching her belly affectionately. The baby moved within her under his palm, which, as always made him smile at the tiny miracle he had created inside his beloved wife. It was amazing that a single act of love could produce another being to the earth.

"I am fine." She said. She smiled at him. He noted the candle light making her face look like liquid bronze in color.

He reached up and pulled her down to him. "I love you." He whispered as he held her in the crook of his arm. He kissed her, his tongue going into her mouth exploring places that only he knew.

Before long they were both heated. She felt the distinct feel of his engorged flesh against her thigh as he lay on his side with her body against his as she lay on her back. Within a matter of moments she would have to change position, but, that was no matter.

He pulled back his mouth and smiled as he collected his breath. "Is there a movie you wanna see?" He asked as he reached up to push a stray hair from her face as his other hand cupped her neck.

"A movie? You want to stop…?" Espa asked. She could not quite keep the disappointment from her voice.

He sighed. "Darling, I know we both want it, but I refuse to hurt you or the baby." He laid his large palm against her abdomen. "The kid needs to stay in there for as long as we can get it to." He said.

"Yeah." She sighed and sat up. She flipped her hair back. "But that doesn't mean you have to suffer." She said with an odd twinkle in her eye.

"What?" He asked as she smiled and leaned over him. He watched his beloved wife turn into another as she watched him like a wolf ready to devour a lamb. He wondered, fleetingly, if he gave her that look when he wanted to make love to her.

She giggled like a school girl as she reached up and pulled at his sweatpants. He looked at her stunned, but he was helpless to resist as his mind was driven by need for completion now. He was still a hot blooded man who loved sex over all other forms of exercise and play.

She pulled the pants down and then off as he squirmed helping her. He sat up on his elbows. "You really do not have to…"

She lowered her head and ended the debate with the first brush of her soft tongue against his most eager flesh. Her eyes met his and he understood both love and what it was to be loved in return. It was deeper than the act she was leading him into. It was a bonding that only a husband and wife who were practiced lovers understood. Love was a wonderful thing and once you had it, you should never let it go. It was like oxygen and kept you going. It gave you something to live for.

And he understood now…


	43. Blackout

**Blackout**

436

Substations 

93,000

Miles of cable 

22,000,000

Megawatts 

1

Witness

Esperanza Eppes was getting her babies to sleep. Annie and Zephyr were normally pretty easy and tonight they had been all over the country fair with Espa and her friend and co-worker Marie Scott.

Espa was on the stairs when the power suddenly went out. She gasped and reached out blindly to the wall.

"Espa, honey?" Came Alan's voice

"Yeah. I'm on the stairs." She said.

"Hold on. Don't move and I will being a light." He said.

She sat down and waited a few moments. Then he came to the bottom of the stairs with a candle. "Come on now." He said.

"Where is everyone?" She asked.

"Lupe, Charlie, and Larry are at the dining room." He grabbed another candle and lit it with his. He gave it to her. "There are some candles around. Light them." He said.

She nodded. She cupped the flame as she walked lighting candles around the downstairs rooms and then setting hers in a candelabra in case her children called for her.

She dropped down onto a chair to read by candlelight as she heard Charlie and Larry talking about something with Lupe beyond the archway into the living room.

NUMB3RS

Don arrived at the power station he had been called to. As he got out of his car and started putting on his gloves David joined him. David had been on call and so had arrived first. Don had been on his way to meet with his family when he had been called back to work. David had just gotten the okay from LAFD saying it was okay to go in and that the grid was offline.

Don wondered it was terrorism or a test run for an attack. A worker was killed as a car drove in to the fence at full tilt and caused the power outage. The driver had to have gotten out before the fire.

Don found a 2-by-4 wedged on the pedal. So there was no driver.

NUMB3RS

Back at the LA office Don greeted his team and thanked them for staying late. Granger was happy for the overtime. Megan pointed out that they did not get overtime. IT was a pity because they all could use it.

The victim was thirty-one and called Randy Syles. He was married with two kids. He was unofficially working because the real workers were on strike. He was doing maintenance to keep the whole grid from collapsing for Renault Energy. The guy was a scab, so the motive could be angry union workers.

The truck was stolen from the Echo Park area earlier that afternoon. That is a long way away from the crime scene. That meant since he had to get home somehow they had multiple suspects. They needed to get local union workers addresses and cross-reference with addresses in Echo Park. Colby and David got on that.

Don was going to check with Homeland Security about terrorist chatter. He checked his watch and frowned. Megan asked him what was up. He just shook his head and sighed. He had missed seeing his wife to bed.

NUMB3RS

Espa heard the boys in the room starting to fight. She blew out the last candle she had. Lupe was giggling as she looked up from her homework. The lights had come back on about twenty minutes before. Because it was the weekend and she was working Alan allowed her to stay up.

"The wire is coiled too tight." Larry said reaching over.

"No, it's not too tight." Charlie said.

"You didn't leave enough room at…"

"It's wrapped too tight."

Charlie slapped Larry's hand. "Don't touch it, okay."

"Hey, play nice." Larry said wiggling his finger at Charlie.

Espa walked in. "What the hell kind of example do you think you are setting for your sister Charlie. You can at least share with others."

"I'm tenured." Charlie protested.

"Hey, hey, if you two are gonna fight over your toys, I'll have to take 'em away." Alan said walking in.

"This is not a toy, Dad, okay?" Charlie said. "This is an electrostatic lifter for Lupe's project to explain current."

"How does that work?" Alan asked as he walked over and leaned over his daughter to look at it.

"Well, there's some serious disagreement about that, whether it's Biefeld-Brown effect, ionization of the corona wires, simple dielectrophoresis." Larry said.

"Boy, I'd hate to be in the room during that debate." Alan said.

Lupe smiled. "Dad, it isn't that bad." She said. "Just have Charlie explain it."

"I think, I will have you explain it sometime, angel, since you can put it in human terms." He replied.

"You laugh, but it's a heated issue." Larry said. Alan, Lupe, Espa, and Charlie all smirked at each other. "Okay, let's see what happens when we apply a little current." He flipped a switch and the machine buzzed. The triangular box lifted up before their eyes with no one touching it.

Espa and Alan looked at each other. Charlie wiggled his fingers as Lupe laughed.

"Wow!" Alan said standing up straight as he watched. "That is amazing!"

Espa nodded her head in agreement.

"Well, unless you can do that with my car, I still say it's a toy." Alan smiled.

Charlie rolled his eyes and turned it off.

The door opened. Gretchen woofed a little as she went to the door, but stopped and wagged her tail when she saw who it was. Don smiled as he reached down and picked her up. "Hello little black monster." He said and rubbed her ears as he looked about. "Hey, what's with all the candles?" He asked. They all had been blown out, but they were all still around the rooms to give light, not stashed behind things. He removed his jacket as he set Gretchen down. "You guys didn't lose power, did you?"

"Yeah, it was out just a little while ago." Alan said.

Espa waddled to her husband as he walked toward them. He hugged her gently and kissed her. "Why are you still up?" He asked. "You two need to sleep." He said.

"You were late and I was worried." She countered. She laid a hand on her abdomen. "Also the baby was moving too much for me to fall asleep."

He laid his large hand on her. "I am sorry."

"You could have called." She said.

"Yeah, I know, sorry." He said. He nuzzled her again as they walked into the room. He kept a hand on the small of her back as he rubbed her. "Someone blew up a substation down in Mission Hills." He said. He set his files down and rubbed his head with his free hand.

"Mission Hills? How in the world would we be affected by something so far away?" Alan asked. He looked at Lupe's numbers and smiled. "You're almost done. Good job."

"I hate proofs." She muttered.

"Don't tell Charlie." Charlie said with a slight smile. "He might be upset at that." He grinned at his little sister.

She giggled.

"It's called a precautionary broad-line reduction. The operator simply shuts the power off till they can restore balance." Larry explained answering Alan's question.

"Right, the thing you have to remember about electricity…it can't easily be stored, so generally, it has to be consumed within milliseconds of being produced." Charlie said.

"Yeah, which means for the power companies, it's a constant game of balance between electricity production and consumption." Larry said.

Don nodded as he listened gently rubbing his wife's neck absently. The motion was relaxing for both of them.

"So, when this substation in Mission Hills failed, well, then there would have been a surge in other areas." Charlie said.

Larry toyed with their small machine as Lupe looked back over her work.

"So, the operators shut down all the large areas until the balance is restored right?" Alan asked.

"Right." Charlie nodded.

"What happens if they don't do that?" Don asked.

"Worst case scenario, cascading failure." Larry said.

"It's just like that game, Jenga." Charlie said. "You know, the game with the tower of wooden blocks. Except in this case, the substations are just like the individual blocks. Many of the blocks can be removed without having a great effect on the entire system as a whole. However, if the wrong black…or in this case substation…is knocked out, well, then…then yeah, the whole system could come crashing down."

"What, like the…the huge blackout back East, a couple, what, three years ago?" Don asked.

"Right, fifty million people left in the dark because of the failure of a single switch." Charlie said.

"You think someone who did this tonight had something like that in mind?" Alan asked.

"Well, if so, I can't imagine we've heard the last of them." Larry said.

Don looked at him and then his brother. His wife looked up and met his gaze. That was cause for concern for the FBI. Terrorism on a grand scale.

NUMB3RS

The next morning the team was at the FBI building. They brought in the wife of the man who had died at the substation. Megan spoke to her in the interrogation room with Colby also there as he leaned against the wall. The woman was pacing because of her nervous energy.

She knew he was working for Renault for only a short time, since the strike, because the pay was better. Colby asked if he had had any threats. He had and the wife had worried about him. He started working at night so he would have less of a chance of getting into trouble.

Megan tried to calm her, but it was not working. The woman told them that there was a first station that had failed two days before and it had not been one of her husband's to watch. It was the Boyle Heights substation.

NUMB3RS

Megan looked into it and then went to go see Don in the bullpen. He was reading a file as he leaned against his desk. He was surprised. They blamed the substation failure on wear and tear because of the strike. Don knows it isn't a coincidence now and so he has her dig deeper.

Charlie comes in and tells him it could be. Two failures in two nights have to be related and if they are then the worker wasn't the target. Charlie is curious why they are making such a big deal about it. Don is not worried about bad PR, he is worried about the whole grid failing. Charlie offers to help them predict where the next attack would be at if that was their main goal.

Charlie asks for data from the power company and so he can work on finding the substation that could crash the grid. Don is eager for him to do it so he will get his brother what he needs.

Charlie excuses himself to go to a meeting with Espa to settle a college matter that has come to his attention.

NUMB3RS

Liz Warner walked out from the elevator. She smiled at Charlie as he stood waiting to ride down. "Hi Charlie."

"Hi Agent Warner." He said. He noticed that Don's sunglasses were in her hand as she waved at him. He cocked his head as he watched her walk to Don's desk where his elder brother was seated reading as Megan set about working.

"Hey." Don said smiling.

The smile did not go unnoticed by his younger brother as the elevator doors shut.

They walked away from the teams desks in the bullpen to have a little privacy since Don caught Megan's look as he moved to talk with Liz. "What's up?" He asked.

"You left these when we had coffee yesterday." Liz smiled at him as she gave him his sunglasses.

"Oh, thanks. I was looking for these." He said. "That was fun."

"Yeah." She nodded.

"Hey, I'm sorry I cancelled today…" He said.

"I appreciate the apology, but I really did just come by to return the glasses." Liz said.

"Oh?" Don smiled.

"I've got a meeting upstairs." She said. "Now, really." She said checking her watch.

"It's cool. We can grab coffee sometime again." He smiled.

"All right, thanks." She said. "Don't get me wrong, Eppes. I wouldn't say no to a rain check." She smiled at him.

"All right, well, I'll keep my eye on the weather." Don smiled at her in his flirting, charming way.

She chuckled and walked away looking over her shoulder with a smirk.

"Yeah."

"See ya later." He said as he returned to his desk.

Megan looked up at him. "That was a quick visit." She said.

"Yeah, she, uh…just had my glasses, so…" He said sitting down in his chair as he went to his computer to start working on email.

"Is everything all right with you and Espa?" She asked.

"Yeah." He said picking up the phone. "I got to get Renault Energy on the phone." Don said.

She nodded recognizing that he was not wanting to talk about it and was dodging the question.

NUMB3RS

Espa was eating a caramel flavored rice crisp as she looked down at the paperwork before her. She had tests to grade and since her TA Xandra Rasp was sick with the flu she had to do it all by herself. That and she had the dispute dropped on her from Charlie at seven o'clock in the morning about one of her professors, Dr. Marie Scott.

Marie was a great English professor, but served as an adjunct because she loved teaching Literary works to students despite she had no need to because of her independent wealth. She was also a good friend of Espa and this affair was going to put her between a rock and hard place with Marie and Charlie at either side of the issue.

She looked down at the midterm grades and the last three papers the student, Sophomore Jacob Little, had written and had all gotten F's on. Marie had sent her copies since she kept files of all the papers. She was firmly of the belief that the kid would never get anywhere since he could not write and he did not understand Jane Austen at all.

Espa set down her red pen and lifted the first paper to read it over knowing she would need background into this. Espa sighed and shook her head. It was going to be a long day. She looked at the grade sheet and then made her own notes as to the content. Marie had given him a fifty-eight out of one hundred and Espa thought she had been generous, she would have given him a forty on historical content alone.

Charlie barged into her office fifteen minutes early. Her administrator tried to stop him, but failed as he set down his bag and looked at her. She looked up and sighed. This was not going to be fun. Espa knew that this young man was one of Charlie's protégés and the kid was extremely intelligent at math and science. He was going to be working on his masters and bachelors for the last two years of his BS in Chemistry, but that did not change the fact the young man could not write at all.

"Charlie…come in." she said.

"I am sorry Dr. Eppes. He just…" The woman stammered.

"Dr. Eppes and I are brother and sister-in-law. I wonder into his office all the time." She smiled at her brother-in-law. "Why don't you sit down Charlie? I will get us some tea."

"Do you have that cool minty kind you have at home?" He asked.

She chuckled as she levered herself up out of her chair and waddled to him. She tousled his hair and walked out to start the water in the stoveless water kettle. She looked at the secretary who seemed frazzled at the loss of control in her office.

"Don't worry. I am having a meeting. Official college business. I will be unavailable for at least an hour." Espa said. She got three cups and put Splenda in two of the cups. Marie liked hers in much the same way as Espa. Espa did not like hers quite as sweet so she only put one packet into her cup, but put two into what would be Marie's cup.

The water boiled just as Marie walked in. The woman was wearing a trimmed to fit skirt and suit jacket over a T-shirt that was blue with bronze colored highlights on the lettering that was barely visible. At the moment Espa envied her size twelve figure that looked wonderful. Espa felt huge at the moment.

Marie smiled and came over to Espa and smiled at her. Marie kissed Espa's cheeks as Espa leaned up to her. It was one of Marie's quirky things that Espa had gotten used to because Marie was the daughter of a diplomat and had spent most of her life in Europe learning the customs of France and England.

"How are you Espa?" Marie asked. "You are getting bigger." She said eyeing her friend.

"Good. And you." Espa smiled as she handed her a cup of tea.

"Oh thank you." Marie said as she took it. "I am well. I just wish this, Professor Eppes would pull his head out and see reason."

"Shh…"Espa chided as she took the two remaining cups. "He'll hear you." She hissed softly.

"So." Marie said. "Let him. Lizzy, he is over reacting and you know it. If he is too stupid to know that…"

Espa chuckled at her friend's nickname for her. Espa was well aware where the name had come from. The two had studied at American University of Beirut together and been roommates and Espa had kept lizards at that time, hence the name. Of course Marie had said that Espa reminded her of Elizabeth in her favorite book as well. Marie had her had been friends ever since.

Marie and Espa walked into Espa's office. Espa shut the door and presented Charlie with his cup of tea. He was staring hostilely at Marie.

"You are younger than the rest of the English faculty." He said eying her. "Hello, Dr. Scott."

She dropped into a seat. "So are you for the math department. I thought you were going to be some old curmudgeon Dr. Eppes I presume." She said.

"Marie, Charlie, peace…really." Espa said dropping into her chair. "You can not seriously think we can solve this arguing like you are." She said. "Now Charlie, what concern do you have?"

"Dr. Scott…" He said. He looked directly at his sister-in-law not wanting to look at the other professor. "…failed Jacob for unfounded reasons. He is brilliant and she failed him and ruined his chances for graduate school."

Espa sat forward. "One F will hardly keep him from entering graduate school Charlie." Espa eyed him.

"It will not help him." He said.

"If he could write he would have no problems." Marie said.

"He wrote a great paper on the fluid dynamics of nineteen century plumbing to gauge the efficiency of the pipes." Charlie said.

"Did you actually read the paper?" Espa asked taking out the paper. She skimmed it.

"Oh course. It was beautiful way of showing the values." Charlie said. "Look at the equations." He said. "And she failed him. Twenty out of one hundred." He scoffed.

"Did you read the assignment?" Marie asked. "I asked for them to compare Wickham to Darcy with the pros and cons of each." She said. She gave him the paper as she all, but threw it at him.

He took it. "Who the hell knows or cares who or what Wickham and Darcy are?" He said. "That is totally irrelevant."

Marie and Espa looked at him, but Marie sat up and glared at him. "I do not insult you Cognitive Theory work Professor Eppes." She said narrowing her eyes.

"What does that have to do with it?" Charlie asked putting the paper on Espa's desk.

"It is what Marie did her dissertation on." Espa said. "Charlie, she's right, he did not do the assigned work."

"But the assignment was flawed." Charlie said testily. "I can not believe you are siding with your friend."

"Over what, her relative. She knows I am right. Besides, he can not spell and does not know grammar. Both are needed to write grant proposals." Marie said. "I am not changing the grade."

Charlie looked up at his sister-in-law and frowned. "She isn't right."

"Actually, Charlie she is. He can bring the grade up. I am ruling he can rewrite the assignments with the highest grade as a B possible and if he does that and does the rest of the writings he will pass the class." Espa said.

"But Epsa, that is hardly fair to…" Charlie pouted drinking his tea.

She held up her hand. "It is very fair." She said. "Now I have tests to grade. You have my decision. You can go to Dean Hearn if you wish, but I know how much you like him and your new department chair." Espa smiled at him. "Good day Doctors." She said in dismissal.

Marie stood up. "Thank you Espa." She looked at Charlie. "Dr. Eppes." She nodded to him and then walked out.

Charlie rose to his feet. "I hate that woman." He hissed.

"Get out of my office Charlie. You have caused me enough indigestion." Espa said reaching for some Tums to chew on."

"Are you all right?" He asked suddenly having his concern for her out weighing his own emotions, temporarily anyway.

"I am fine. I will see you later." She said waving him off.

He went then. His concern driven by what he had witnessed between his brother and Liz as well as Espa's pregnancy not going totally as planned. His brother was barred from sex with his wife and he feared that his brother gone elsewhere for the need of his lower region, which upset Charlie terribly that he would throw his pregnant wife to the side so easily.

He would address it with Don soon enough and if he had to his beloved sister-in-law, but he did not want to upset her anymore than she was. It was not good for her or the baby she carried.

NUMB3RS

Charlie went to his office and worked on the equations for his brother as Larry sat in his office talking to him about the meeting. Charlie was not amused, but it was deeper than what had happened to Jacob. He was agitated anyway.

He found the substation where he thought that was going to be hit. He called Don with the information he had gathered.

Don was out to dinner with his wife and then called Colby and David to check it out for him.

NUMB3RS

Colby and David were stationed looking down at a substation at a lover's lookout. The two were surrounded by couples making out. They talked about Megan and Larry, but David did not really even want to think about it, though Colby seemed obsessed with it.

They then watched the power go down in about a quarter of the city from their vantage point, but it was not from the substation they were at. Something was going on and it worried them that Charlie's math pointed one way and what was seen was different.

NUMB3RS

Colby and David arrived at the substation that was attacked. A piece of rebar was thrown in. Megan and Larry came from dinner because the lights went out and she got a call from dispatch.

A man was found. He had a prison tattoo on the back of his neck from a cell block. David recognized it from Chino. The man was electrocuted and was leaning against the fence. When substation shorted he acted as a ground and it killed him. They needed to pass his photo around because his finger prints were burned off because of his hands being attached to the metal fence

NUMB3RS

Espa walked back into the bedroom wearing her comfortable satin dress she slept in a lot these days. She held a candle as she returned to the bed. The power was off and Annie had woken up crying. Espa had heard her first and had gone to her so as not to waken her husband who was blissfully asleep.

She looked at him as she set the candle down on dresser. She sat down as she brushed her fingers through her hair as she watched the light dance on his features relaxed with sleep. He stirred and opened his eyes and she sighed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She whispered to him. He smiled and looked up at her as he shifted a little looking up at his wife with her rumpled braided hair.

He smiled and rubbed his eyes. "It's okay. Why the candle?" He asked sitting up on his elbow revealing his taut chest flesh as the sheet fell to his midriff.

"The power is out and I did not want to kill myself seeing to Annie." She smiled. "Go back to sleep." She said as she leaned up and blew out the candle and laid down on her side. She felt him reach out and pull her against him as she got under the sheet and blanket. She felt his lips brush her shoulder in the dark as he smiled.

"Have I told you how much I love you?" He asked.

"I never tire of hearing that." She smiled.

"I know." He said his hand caressing her side and the great swell of her swollen belly. His child was resting now for he did not feel a kick as he gently touched his wife's body. He nuzzled her neck and hair. "I want you to hear something from me in case Megan corners you about it." He said softly. "I had coffee with Liz Warner during a lunch hour, she returned my sunglasses to me."

"Coffee?" She smiled. "Why would I care about coffee? Colby and I have coffee all the time and you do not mind."

"That is my point. Wait, you don't drink coffee while pregnant." He said against her cheek in mock suspicion.

She looked up as his eyes glittered with the tiny amount of light coming in through the window. "You know what I mean." She smiled.

"I do." He nodded and kissed her nose softly. He snuggled down and they both were asleep in short order. Don had his arm about her and held her gently as they slept.

NUMB3RS

The morning had the team in the war room. The man's name was Alejandro Munoz from El Salvador. He was released from Chino about six months ago. He served four years for drug dealing. He seemed to have no ties to terrorists, but Colby was looking into it.

Don was confused and asked his brother why they attacked in Silver Lake and not at the station in Mulholland where Charlie had predicted. Charlie pointed out his math was right, their assumption had been wrong. They had thought cascading failure, but there was something different going on.

David found a guy who could have been his accomplice that was there when Munoz died at the scene. Over the last three days he made over a dozen calls to Lyle Donahue. The man had a sheet for making millions in a utilities scam. He worked for the state utility commission until fired for that. He was in the same cell block at Chino.

Don thinks perhaps because of the power failures causing problems that Donahue might be up to his old game. Charlie was confused at the reasoning. Don orders them to track down Donahue and bring him in to talk to them.

NUMB3RS

Charlie went to his office at the school and Amita came in. She brought in an article for him to look at and see for his work. He read it as she pointed out that the failures were being treated as a byproduct. He saw her point. Maybe they were the objective and she smiled and nodded. He started working on his boards again seeing that she could have a point.

NUMB3RS

Don went to the Eppes family home. His children were at day care, his sister was in school, and his wife was working. He stopped by to get his files he had left there a couple of nights ago.

His father walked in from the kitchen spotting him leaning over the dining room table. "Hey, Donny, I didn't even know you were here."

"Yeah, I left this here the other night." Don said looking at his file.

"So, uh, you think you're going to be around for dinner tonight?" Alan asked sitting down and pouring himself some coffee from his French press. "Or do you already have plans with your wife?"

Don looked up from the file hearing a different tone than he liked from his father. "No plans." He said looking back.

"Really? I could have sworn I remember you talking about a concert, but um…" Alan said stirring his coffee. His eldest son was stuffing the folder into a briefcase trying to ignore his father. "So how are things going with you two, huh?" He asked.

"They're fine." Don said. He was so not in a mood to talk about his love life with his father. He walked out of the room and went to go get his coat hoping his father would drop the grilling of him, especially with no cause to do so. He was thirty-eight and he did not need to be lectured like a high school student.

"Fine?" Alan continued. "What is it, we can't talk about it? Do I need a security clearance to get information about you and Espa?"

Don pulled on his jacket and whipped about to look at his father as the twig of his patience snapped. "Dad, what are you doing?"

"What? I'm not doing anything…"

"Yeah, your little interrogation here." Don said looking at him.

"All right, I was talking to Charlie earlier."

"Ah…"

"And he told me some woman came around to see you at work. A woman, n…not Espa." Alan said rising and going to face his son by the door. "And, um, he said it was fairly obvious that something was going on between the two of you."

"So?" Don said.

"Donnie, uh, do you remember we were talking about how you wanted things to work out between you and Espa? And…I mean, you can't have a relationship if you're not gonna commit to it." Alan said coming closer.

"Yeah, well, Dad, I'm not doing this, okay?" Don said. He hated the fact his father did not trust him with his wife and he hated it more to have it shoved into his face. "I'm not Charlie, and I…" His phone rang. "I love my wife and kids dad…" He picked it up. "Eppes."

"Don…Lyle Donahue, engineer." David said on the line. "We've been sitting on his credit cards. He just used on. Uh, bar up Sunset, corner of Gardner."

"All right, you know what, take it." Don ordered. "Get Megan and hit it. We can't wait."

"All right." David said.

Don clapped his phone shut and looked back at his father as he inhaled deeply. "I'm doing the best I can." He said.

"How? By carrying on with another girl?" Alan asked.

Don grabbed the file and walked to the door. He rubbed the back of his head and shook it. He opened the door and sighed. "See you later." He said and was off.

NUMB3RS

Megan and David hit the bar. The barkeeper did not recognize the photo, but he found the tab and nodded to a group of young college kids. Come of them, the kid who had given the card tried to run. Colby caught him at the back door and shoved him against the wall.

When asked where he got the card he took them to where Lyle Donahue's car was. They found the man with a shot to his head, dead in the driver's seat. The shot was behind the ear and a little professional for the kid to have done. This means there are more player in this game now.

NUMB3RS

Megan returned to the office while Colby and David saw to the body and crime scene. Don met her at the elevator and then went up.

He smiled and walked with her to the bullpen as he pulled off his jacket. "Hey, we've all been going in the wrong direction." Charlie said walking over to where they were.

"All right, Charlie, just relax." Don said. "We just found Donahue, all right?"

"Oh!" Charlie said. "Did you talk to him? Did he tell you…"

"No Charlie." Megan said. "He's dead. Somebody shot him." She said.

"This is much bigger than price fixing." Don said. "I can tell you that."

"I'm sorry, but this has nothing at all to do with price fixing." Charlie said.

"What do you think it has to do with?" Megan asked

"I…I don't know, but it's about the blackouts." Charlie said. "I mean, at first they seem unrelated and disparate, but when I looked at them in the context of set theory, they had a lot in common, so just…just pay attention." He said and moved to the war room.

Don and Megan exchanged looks, but followed him. They knew too much had gone well for them not to trust him.

"So there have been three substation attacks." Charlie said. He opened a chart tube he had and poured out the papers he had inside. "Each of these caused a blackout in a particular region." He said as the three of them crowded around. "_This_ is the area hit by the first blackout, the Boyle Heights substation failure." He said flipping his transparencies to the first color over the map. It was read. The second was blue as he laid it over. "This is the second, caused by the outage that killed that maintenance worker." He laid over green for the third. "And here's the third." He said.

"Okay, so the three overlap in one area." Megan said.

"Right, to a statistically significant extent." Charlie said.

"All right, so why blackouts three nights in a row?" Don pondered as he looked at the map and overlays.

"Well, that must be Donahue's objective." Charlie said.

"To take down these blocks."

"Okay, so what…? Uh… Cover up a heist, knock out a security system…" Don said.

"And there's a lot of stuff in that area." Megan said going to look at some paperwork. "There's banks and brokerage houses, museums, but I haven't seen any reports of break-ins."

"Charlie, the thing is, we're pretty much looking at most of downtown here." Don said looking at the map. "Is there any way to be more specific?"

"The best I could do with what I had." Charlie said.

"That's not all you have." Megan said. "We just found this pad in Donahue's car. And it's filled with calculations." She gave it to him.

"These are Dantzig-Wolf decompositions, network interdiction strategies..." Charlie said looking at the paper. "It's…it's pretty high end stuff."

"Can you use any of it to figure out where he was gonna try to black out?" Don asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna need to take a look at these." Charlie said.

"In the meantime, I'll see who else Donahue was in bed with. Maybe that's who murdered him." Megan said. She walked out of the room as Don dropped to sit on the table.

Charlie moved to follow her, but Don grabbed his arm. "Hey. Wait, wait. Listen. This…this little conversation you had with Dad."

"Oh. Yeah. Um…" Charlie stumbled. "Sorry. I just…" His brother watched him, his dark eyes reading into him. "I…"

"It was none of your business. Why do you think you can interfere with my marriage?" Don growled.

He got up and moved to turn and Charlie grabbed his arm and punched his face as he turned back. Don stumbled back surprised and shocked that his brother sucker punched him and that he could hit that hard. Don without thinking punched Charlie back knocking his younger brother to the floor as he held his face. Don took a deep breath and touched his lip. He then saw Charlie sprawled on the floor. Care for his brother's welfare overrode his irritation at him for the moment.

"Oh…Charlie…Are you okay. I'm sorry…I…" He dropped down and gently rolled Charlie onto his back and looked at him.

"I'm fine…I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

"Yeah me too." Don nodded.

"Who taught you to punch?" Don asked. His kid brother had not been so good when they were growing up.

"Who do you think?" Charlie asked. He sat up and tried to blink his eye. His left eye ached. "I think you gave me a shiner."

"Yeah and you cracked my lip." Don said. "Look, buddy, not that it is any of your concern, but I am not cheating on my wife."

"Everyone says that. You are so happy with her Don, don't throw it away…"

"I'm not." Don protested.

"You're right. I had no right to tell him about you and Agent Warner." Charlie said. Don got up and then he offered Charlie a hand up.

"Yeah. Exactly." Don said.

"You are so happy with her Don." Charlie said looking at him.

"Well, Charlie, you don't know what you are talking about." Don said not looking at his brother. "Okay, I mean, I appreciate the thought, and that you are protective of Espa, but…" He sighed. "All right." He said.

"Sorry." Charlie said. He did not sound totally convinced yet. He was angry and hurt and Don knew it and so it was best to let someone else deal with him for now. Before he would have run home to mommy, but now that she had passed…

Don knew he would be going to Espa next and hopefully the woman of the house would set him strait. His wife knew what he had been up to and where he slept at night. He had no reason to give up the best life he had ever thought to have.

"Thanks. Go ahead, take a look." Don said rubbing his brow a little. "Let me know what you come up with." He said as he leaned over the table looking down at what Charlie had brought.

"Okay…" Charlie said as he pressed a hand to his eye. He was angry and upset and hurting. He needed to go to Espa. Don's reaction had confirmed to him that Don was hiding something and so he needed to ask Espa about it, after he did something for his eye.

Don touched his fat lip. Charlie had learned to punch. The kid would never figure out relationships, though. Don was happy and married with three kids. Why would he leave the best life he had ever though possible for himself?

NUMB3RS

Charlie went to his office at Cal-Sci to ponder. He had an ice pack from the campus nurse and he needed to work on the problem, but since Espa and Don's marriage was on his mind he decided to go talk to her now, rather than later.

He walked to the Liberal Arts building. Espa's office was on the fourth floor and since she was the department chair for several departments she had a grand office with her vice chairs next door. She would serve a five year appointment or more if she let them talk her into it.

He smiled at the secretary on his way in and entered the office. "Hey, Espa." He said looking at his sister-in-law. He then noticed she was not alone. Dr. Marie Scott was also there. The woman was looking at Espa's artifacts. "Dr. Scott." He said coldly.

"Dr. Eppes." She said with equal warmth.

She smiled. "Hi Charlie. I was grading one of Jacob's rewrite papers and…" She looked up at him. "Mother of God, what did you do to yourself?" She asked rising to her feet as quickly as she could with her very full belly.

Dr. Scott smiled. "Maybe walked into a door. I hear the brilliant do that sometimes. Amazing skills, but no common sense."

He scowled at her. "Why are you here?"

"I brought Jacob's papers to her for her to grade. Only fair to have her grad them, don't you think?" She said sweetly. "Also Espa and I are going to the hair dresser's soon."

"Why?" Charlie asked.

"Espa and I are cutting our hair for locks of love." Marie smiled.

"What? You can't Espa. It is so amazing and…" Charlie stammered as Espa started to fuss over him.

"I am only taking off a foot or so. I will feel better and a kid with cancer can have hair." She said. "Let me see." She said pulling down his arms. He pouted like a kid as she looked at him. "Who gave you that?" she demanded.

"Your husband." He said. He looked at her. "Did you know he goes out for coffee these days." He said casually as she pressed the cold pack back.

"Yes." She said.

"I see." He said. He had a sad tone to his voice. Almost like he was pitying her. She looked at him. "You need to go rest that and I will go talk to my _beloved _spouse after our appointment." She kissed his cheek.

"I have work for Don…"

"He punched you and you still want to…"

"I have to…if more people die it will be my fault. Then I will rest." He said delibatrately avoiding telling her how he had gotten the black eye. She sighed and looked at him before she took Marie by the arm and they walked out together. Charlie walked out and Espa locked her door as her brother-in-law hugged her and then went on his way back to his office.

His sister-in-law was in denial or she was naïve as to her husband's affair. He would discuss it further with her and him soon after he did the math. He knew Larry would help him so he went to gather his mentor up.

Espa and Marie chattered to themselves as they walked to Espa's car and they went off to go cut their hair.

NUMB3RS

Charlie was working on the math and he could not figure out why Donahue had used his equations he did to predict the reactions to the failures. Larry suggested a exclusionary approach because they would be able to find out why he choice the places he did and not others from that.

NUMB3RS

Espa went to meet Don for lunch after she cut her hair. Don looked at her as she walked in. "You cut your hair." He said looking up. He had her favorite sandwich and drink waiting for her.

"Not much. And you did too." She said sitting down. Her voice was hostile and he was not sure what he had done.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked reaching to touch a lock that had fallen forward and she pulled her head back out of reach.

"I am fine." She said. "What did you do to your lip?"

"Oh Charlie called me out."

"When will you two ever grow up?" She asked as she started to eat her sandwich. He looked at her and knew now that that was why she was bristly.

"Look, sweetheart, he sucker punched me first." He looked at her. "He accused me of cheating on you. He and dad think I am." He looked at her. "You know I am not right."

She sighed and looked up. "Yeah, I know, but that still doesn't mean you are forgiven for punching each other."

"He started it." He said.

"But you finished it." She said. She looked at him. "I love you, but there are days…"

NUMB3RS

Don was walking up in front of the FBI building when he caught sight of Liz Warner standing there. He smiled.

"You know what, I'll catch you later all right?" Liz was saying to two male agents as they turned to leave.

"I'll catch up with Don." One said nodding to Don as he came up carrying coffee.

"What do you say, gents?" Don said. "How you doing?" He smiled at Liz. "What? Downtown two days in a row, huh? Lucky me." Don smiled at her in his flirty manner that was totally innocent.

"Forget it, Eppes." She smiled. "You already blew your one chance with me." She looked at him. "Who punched you?"

"No way. I thought I was getting a rain check." Don said. He chuckled. "Charlie did, but it is nothing."

She shook her head and he followed suit leaning closer to her. She smiled. "Don you are married. What does your wife think?"

"She is fine with us going and having coffee and talking work." He smiled. "She does it with Colby all the time."

"Ahh…still. You remember our, um, drug dealer friend operating out of the racetrack?"

"Yeah. Tabakian?"

"He's decided to cooperate and help us go after the Salvadorian cartel that was supplying them." She said. She pushed her bangs back.

"Oh, yeah? Well, that's a good get for you, huh?"

"Yeah. Bottom line, Tabiakina and I care gonna be shacking up in a safe house…in San Diego."

"Ha-ha." Don said.

"While he spills everything to the US attorney. So…"

"Yeah. You know when you take off?" He asked.

"Today." She said. "I gotta run. We're gonna process him, but, uh… I'll call you when I get back." She said.

"Yeah." He said. "I'll make sure it doesn't rain." He chuckled as he watched her go. She laughed and rolled her eyes. "You know, my brother can do things with math. He's…he's a genius."

"Oh." She smiled and turned back before walking off again.

He turned and walked for the office a smile on his face.

NUMB3RS

Charlie was able to narrow down the building where they were trying to hit. It was the Rice building that was the downtown federal detention center. There were twelve substations that they could have used to blackout downtown. He had looked and used his calculations to find the building they were looking for.

They realized they were wanting to get a prison break

Charlie then dodged questions about his black eye saying only he was a misunderstanding.

NUMB3RS

Don and David went to the Rice building to check on procedure for what happened during a blackout. They had generators to back out power and they were diesel run. They were in the basement and they could not be accessed by prisoners There are only forty-five guards and 2,200 prisoners.

No one tried to disable the generators so the place seemed secure enough. With hat information Don and David returned back to the office.

NUMB3RS

Charlie met them at the elevator as they walked out. They told him the Rice building was immune to prison breaks because of the backups. Don asked if there was anything else in the area of note. Don and the team did not get Charlie's point about arguing that they could not have a system that was unaffected by the outside world.

They found a link to Munoz. He was Salvadorian and worked for the cartels that Tabakian worked for. Megan thought they were going to bust him out, but don reveals what Liz told him that he was going to talk against them. They wanted him dead and so it was easier to just kill him.

Charlie showed them that the tanks for the generators were run three nights in a row and would be empty. They would just call and get more, but that was a way to get in because it was unscheduled. Don suddenly saw Charlie's point and went to go with his team to go to the Rice building to go save Tabiakian.

NUMB3RS

Don and the group got there and found the truck. It was empty, a Trojan horse. They found a dead guard and so they go in looking for Tabakian and guards to alert them to the break in. SWAT was out on another call and so they had no back up, but the guards could get armed if they could get to the armory in time.

The prison went on high alert. Liz Warnerput the table in front of Tabakian, herself, and the prosecutor who was there. Liz was in the utility room and had come to get Tabakian out when the alert started. Her gun was checked and so she was a sitting duck with the other two.

Don and his team caught the two break in men who were at the room and removed their weapons. They handcuffed them to keep them there. Don had Liz take one of the guns and they looked about. The room was too hard to defend.

They walked out into the hall. Don held Tabakian, David walked in front of the prosecutor woman, and Liz walked in front with her weapon ready.

A door opened and Colby barked it out. Liz fired and missed. One of the men shot Tabakian in the shoulder. Liz jumped in front of him to block another shot. Don fired and took out one and David the other as he guarded the prosecutor.

Colby and David went to check the fallen break in men and found them dead. Don called for an ambulance for Tabakian. It looked like a through-in-through so he would be fine. The other woman was shook up, but fine. Don checked Liz and her over before they set about waiting for help.

NUMB3RS

About ten minutes later Tabakian was loaded into an ambulance and Liz Warner went with him so when he was released she could take him out of town before they had another crack at him. Don smiled at her and then turned to clean up the detention center paperwork.

NUMB3RS

Espa looked at Jacob as he stood before her. Marie and Charlie sat on either side of him. Espa had made it a condition that she grade the papers for the undergrad. She looked up as she folded her hands.

"You did hard work." She said. "There were some flaws, but you are a scientist not a liberal arts major. I can let that slide." She smiled. "Congratulations, you passed the course with a B." She said.

Jacob smiled. "Thank you Dr. Eppes."

Charlie smiled. "Thanks for your fairness Espa."

Espa smiled and looked at Marie. "He did actually a good job and his research project had a novel approach."

"I am happy for him." Marie smiled. "I did not want him to fail."

"I will tell you, you need to take a business writing course to help you work on your writings for grants." Espa said looking at Jacob.

"I will. Thank you." He said taking the file and then walked out. Charlie followed him out and smiled at his sister-in-law at the door as he walked through it.

Marie looked at Espa as she sat back and sighed. "Thank God that is over." She smiled. "What do you think of my brother-in-law?"

"Brilliant in his own way, but he needs to read a few more books on our side of the fence. He is young in his mind and a bit naïve, but you are right. He is sweet." Marie nodded. "Come on. Let's go get a bite to eat."

Espa grabbed her purse. "I am all for that."

They chuckled as they walked out together.

NUMB3RS

Don returned to the Eppes family home about eleven after processing his paperwork for Tabakian and the shootings. Espa and the girls were there and were no doubt sleeping. Espa was tired and had been most of the day. Alan had cooked for them, for which Don was grateful. His wife needed some rest and he was happy his father could take some of the duties as needed.

His father was up reading a magazine and his brother was reading a book. He could hear the shower running through an open window and figured his sister was bathing. Now the debate was whether or not to wake his family or snuggle with them in the solarium.

"Hey." Don said coming through the door. "What are you guys doing up so late?"

"Hey, hey, Charlie told me what happened today, and, uh, were worried." Alan said.

Don removed his coat and smiled a little.

"Well, he was worried." Charlie said. "I…I just stayed up to savor an 'I told you so' moment while it was still fresh." He said looking at his brother as he turned in his chair.

"Hold on, we dealt with this." Don said removing his gun to set on the table as he rolled his eyes.

"Did we?" Charlie asked. "There…there was so much going on. Accusations about my math being shifty." Charlie said.

"All right, Charlie, have your moment, go ahead, say it." Don said spreading his hands as he dropped down onto the table.

"I told you so." His brother said. "I told you so." He repeated and grinned.

"All right, there you go." Don said smiling.

"Well, that's about as much brotherly love as I can take tonight…" Alan said. "I'm going to bed." He said rising.

Charlie rose as well. "Yeah, I'm done, so I'm gonna hit the hay." He said.

Don looked at the mail and then looked up. "Hey, look, uh…" He looked up as the other two paused to look back at him. "About Espa and me…"

"Yeah, I said we…we're…I mean we're sorry, you know?" Charlie said.

"I have a very happy marriage." Don said. "My wife knows I have coffee with Liz." He said seriously. "She knows where I sleep at night." He eyed them. "Do you really think I would ever cheat on the mother of my kids and the best think that has happened to me since my FBI career?"

"Well…no…we…" Charlie stammered.

"We were concerned, but I see now you have made progress Donnie." Alan said. "Good for you. You are keeping your marriage good and that is all I care about."

"It takes two and we are one." Don said.

"Glad to see my punch was not for nothing." Charlie said.

"Shut up." Don said rubbing his jaw thoughtfully.

"Hey, look, 'm not really tired." Alan said as his elder son walked over and dropped into a seat on before the TV. "There's got to be something good on late night." He said lifting up the remote. "You know, that's when they play the classics. Let's…"

"If we're going to stay up then I'll go pop some popcorn, and…" Charlie said starting for the kitchen

"Guy, you don't have to do this." Don said. "I mean really. We don't want to wake up the girls…any of them…"

"Do what?"

"Seriously, go to bed. I'm okay." Don said.

"Hey come on. You don't even live here, what are you telling us what to do?" Alan asked. He turned on the TV and _Taxi_ started playing.

"All right." Don yielded with a sigh. "Thanks." He smiled. "I can go up to my wife and get my family out of your hair you know…"

"Don't mention it. Espa is most likely reading and Lupe will talk to her for at least an hour." Alan smiled. "They are such sisters." Alan smiled. "You know she was crabby and I did not know why. They I saw pads in the trashcan and…"

"Dad…I do not need to hear about my sister being on the rag…seriously." Don said.

Alan chuckled. "You have two girls of your own. Very soon you will face that reality my friend." He smiled. "And if she is carrying a third?" Alan smiled. "I am not sure if I can handle a son only making girls." He grinned.

"I am getting myself fixed." Don said. "Hey at least they are not blanks, otherwise you would not have a daughter-in-law, grandchildren, or a daughter or your own to raise." He smiled at his father. "I am not sure I will be able to handle three girls."

"Hey I did okay with two boys." Alan said looking over at him as Don snuggled down into the chair to watch the film.

"Yeah you did." Don agreed.


	44. End of Watch

**End of Watch**

65.513

Gang members

250

Crash officers

561

Murders

1

Missing cop

Esperanza Eppes was sitting in the garage while Lupe, Charlie, and Amita were setting up a lecture for Charlie's class. She listened with half an ear as she folded clothes and watched Annie and Zephyr playing with toys on a blanket. She was working in the laundry room section that was only separated from the main room by some wall timbers.

It was a calm Saturday, though Don had to work, Espa had the day off and was spending it with her family. She looked over and saw Lupe helping Charlie set up little figurines. She was smiling enjoying her Saturday as well. She had already finished her homework for math and science.

"All right, you ready?" Charlie asked.

Amita and Lupe looked at each other and sighed. Lupe was almost as tall as Charlie now and was willow thin since her body had not caught up to her, but she towered over her elder sister.

"Byzantines fighting side by side with cowboys and Indians?" Amita said.

"I don't think they will teach that in history." Lupe smiled.

"I had an imaginative childhood." Charlie said.

Amita smiled as she held a glass of water.

"You know actually this garage was once a garage." Alan said as he came in and leaned against the wall near the door.

Lupe turned to him. "Admit it Dad, you enjoy me learning with hands on stuff."

"Yeah, I guess I do." He smiled as he looked at her.

"So check it out. We're deriving a set of coupled differential equations using a fourth order Runge-Kutta method." Charlie said.

"You're kidding." Alan said. "Huh?"

"Basically he wants to play with fire Dad." Lupe said turning back.

"He's trying to see how far he can fling a ball of fire." Amita said as Charlie poured lighter fluid onto a cotton ball that was sitting on his catapult.

"Ooh. You know, I think I liked it better when you, uh, lit dead bugs with a magnifying glass." Alan said putting on the eye protection that Lupe handed him.

"Don did that." Charlie said lighting a match.

"Oh." Alan said. "Right."

"Don did what?" Espa asked levering herself to her feet. She felt like a house as she walked into the other room with her hands on her back and her belly before her.

"They were dead Espa, relax." Alan smiled at her.

"Good, though he seems the type to roast ants that are alive too." She said.

"He did that too." Charlie said as he lit the cotton ball. "All right!" Charlie said excitedly as the cotton ball blazed. He fired and hit inside the fort.

"Bingo!" Alan said. "Good shot!"

Amita smiled and poured water on it to extinguish the flame.

There was a knock on the door. Lupe opened it up. "Can you direct me to Alan Eppes?" A man asked her.

"Sure, he is in here." She said looking at the short man with a bowtie.

"Alan Eppes?"

"Yes?" Alan asked.

"Have a nice day." The man said handing him an envelope.

"What was all that about?" Amita asked as he opened it.

"Yeah, Dad what is it?" Lupe asked.

Espa waddled to him and looked at him curiously.

"Ooh…It's a project that I consulted on." Alan said.

"Which project?" Charlie asked.

"Kim's Day Night Golf Center." Alan said.

"Yeah, that's the driving range in Koreatown, right?" Charlie asked not looking at him as he jotted down some notes with Lupe looking at what he was writing.

"Yeah. The neighbors in the surrounding apartments have been complaining that the, uh, floodlights are on twenty-four-seven." Alan said. "Apparently, it's daytime all night long." He looked at the paper closer. "I'm being sued." He said in shock.

Espa took the paper from him. "What?"

Charlie looked up startled as well.

NUMB3RS

Don was called to a lot where a policeman's badge had been found by some kids who were biking around off jumps. He walked up to where David was waiting for him at the top of the hill.

"What do you say, David?" Don asked.

"Badge traces back to an LAPD officer went missing in 1990." David said handing him the dirty shield.

"Hmm. Missing how?" Don asked.

"We don't know. Found the badge right there." David said pointing. "Officer's name was John Everett. Twenty-three years old. Bureau initially handled the case as an unexplained disappearance."

There was a siren coming up behind them.

"Yeah, well, this should give it a new perspective, huh?" Don asked looking more closely at the badge.

"Reports indicate he went missing wearing his uniform." David continued. "It's looking like a cop killing with the guy out there still walking around."

Don looked back and saw Lt. Walker coming toward them. "That's Gary Walker coming up the hill." Don said.

"LAPD's gonna work with us on this one." David said.

Don nodded. "So, Lieutenant, how you doing?" He asked as Walker came even with them.

"You've seen me on better days, Eppes." Walker said. "Sinclair." He looked down. "Is this it?" He asked.

"This is it." Don said.

Walker took it and looked at it. He then turned and held it up for another officer below to see. He looked back and sighed. "Man who wore this was the finest young cop I ever knew."

"You were close with John Everett?" David asked.

"Yeah." Walker said looking about. "Everett was on my street crime team. We hit hard and often. Couple of weeks before he disappeared, he killed a real hard-ass gang banger named Stephon Bradley."

"You think him going missing was an act of revenge maybe?" David asked.

"I don't need to think, I know, Sinclair." Walker said. "His brother vowed revenge at the time, and Everett's car was found in his neighborhood."

"What, you couldn't make a case?" Don asked.

"Not without a body." Walker said.

"What happened to Bradley?" David asked.

"Did ten years for armed robbery. Paroled in '02. Got a college degree while he was on the inside, too." Walker said. He saw a CSI talking with Don as Don signed a paper. "I hear he even writes a little poetry now. But all that's about to change." He said holding the badge close.

NUMB3RS

Charlie was called in by Don. Don explained that the cop was missing for seventeen years, but he needed Charlie's help. He also explained that Colby was testifying in closed court so they were a man down for a week or so. The place where the badge was found was supposed to be a high rise, but a lawsuit shut it down and it was a vacant lot ever since.

A crew could bury the body without even knowing about it. Megan was munching popcorn which Don stole some of because he was waiting for his wife to come and take him to lunch. A construction site would be a good place to hide a body.

Walker was convinced there is a body there. Charlie told them he can do laser swath mapping to look for depressions and such in the ground. He used Megan's popcorn, under protest, to show how it would work. Walker was amazed by the new technology these days and listened. He wanted more than anything to know what happened to the kid. Walker felt responsible for his loss and he wanted to bring him justice. Seventeen years ago John's wife had to bury an empty coffin while his killer went free, but that was about to change.

NUMB3RS

Espa waddled into the FBI office. It was the best way to describe how she was walking with her body full of the coming baby in her. The baby was larger this time according to the sonogram pictures. Don was amazed at how much larger she was this time and was convinced she was having twins and was refusing to tell him.

He saw her coming toward his desk. "You guys work on that I need to see to my wife since I can tell this will be a long day and this maybe the only time I get to see her." He said. The team nodded understanding.

Charlie walked out first and came to her and kissed her cheek. "I have to run, but good to see you again. Twice in one day." He smiled.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Get to work." She grinned. "What are you doing now?" She asked as he walked toward the elevator.

"Laser swath mapping."

"Good luck with that." She chuckled.

Walker walked beside Don as he came out. "So that is the wife? She's pretty." He said. "Even as pregnant as she is. She is glowing." He looked at Don. "Two kids huh? Your father and brother must be happy."

"Yeah." Don nodded. "Actually, this is baby number three."

"You know what she is having?" Walker asked impressed. The first time he had worked with Don his wife was very pregnant as well and was being used to get at Don by the Russian mob. He was glad to see she looked no worse for wear from that incident.

"She won't tell me." Don said as they came up to Espa. He aimed a smile at his wife as she rolled her eyes.

"Wonderful to see you Mrs. Eppes." Walker said offering his hand to her.

She took it as Don spoke. "Doctor Eppes." He corrected with a smile of affection.

"Doctor Eppes is so formal." Espa said. "I prefer Esperanza or Espa." She said.

"Only if you call me Gary." He smiled at her. She was charming and her bright radiance lifted his heart a bit.

"What brings you here?" She asked.

Walker sighed. "One of my men who has been missing for seventeen years has been found. Well at least his badge and that is progress."

"I am sorry." Espa said as Don walked behind her and gently rubbed her shoulders.

"If Don helps me find him and bring him justice it is all I can ask for." He dipped his head. "A pleasure Espa. If you'll excuse me." He walked toward the elevator.

Espa looked after him. "He is sad." She said.

"Yeah, he is." He nodded. "Come on, sweetheart take me to lunch."

"Who said I was buying?" She asked.

"I did." He grinned at her and patted her bottom.

She rolled her eyes and swatted his hand.

NUMB3RS

Espa walked back into her office. A young dark haired woman was seated in her office waiting for her. Espa smiled. "Hello." She said.

"Hello, Doctor Eppes. I am here about the Graduate Assistant job." The woman said turning to look at Espa. The girl's face was white with dark makeup about her eyes and lipstick. She was clearly a Goth.

Espa walked to the far side of her desk. "What is your name?"

"Vyxsin Monterno." The young woman said. "I have my Bachelors' in Political Science and History, my Masters in Sociology, and I am working for my PhD in History as well."

"I see." Espa said. She looked over the file that Vyxsin brought. "Your name is spelled really cool."

"Thank you." Vyxsin said. "I understand you work for the FBI and are having a baby." She said.

"You have done your homework." Espa smiled. "I am due in a couple of months and I will need a Graduate Assistant to teach for me since I will be away for a couple of weeks or so."

"I have a good background in history and I studied Middle East studies from University of Montana." Vyxsin said.

"So I see." Espa said. "You are by far the best choice I have had. You are new to the department. We have a meeting in two days. Can you come?"

"Yes." Vyxsin said.

"Good. I will introduce you as my new GA." Espa said. "And since I consult for the FBI, we will need to get you a clearance so you can help me with that."

"How exciting." Vyxsin smiled.

NUMB3RS

Megan and David were looking at pictures that Walker had given them of his former team and Everett's family. Everett had been married for three years at the time and he had a little boy who was now nineteen. The team and Walker stayed close to the family to help them out. Megan thought it was survivor's guilt.

Liz Warner came in with a box of things. She was going to help them out since she wanted to get out of Narco for a bit. She lifted out the files that Megan had wanted. They had some on Calvin Bradley as well.

Liz told them he ran with a black gang known as the BSF, Bixel Street Family. Liz asked around and found out that Bradley was a bit of a legend. Now, apparently, he was a changed man and working to help kids get out of the life. He has been clean since his brother and Everett's deaths.

NUMB3RS

Don had gone with Walker to gather his team up to talk to them about what happened seventeen years ago.

"Hard to believe we may finally find Everett after all these years." Davison said.

"To think he's been rotting out there all this time." Another sighed.

"While Calvin Bradley's been walking around a free man." The tall black officer said.

Don listened to them all.

"No thanks to the FBI." The second said looking up at Don.

"Hey, what? Excuse me?" Don asked straightening from where he had been leaning against his car.

"Let's just say the Feds didn't put much manpower on it at the time." The black officer said looking at him.

"Look, I wasn't there at the time, okay." Don said taking a step forward.

"Hey, listen, this has been a very rough day for all of us, but, uh, we're all on the same page now, and, uh, Eppes has just come here to find out what happened the day that Everett disappeared." Walker said stepping in to soothe the tempers and egos of those around him.

"I mean, if there's anything you remember, you know, that's come back to you, you know what I'm after." Don said. The others looked at Walker and he nodded encouraging them to talk.

"Night before, a ten year old girl was killed in a drive-by." Davison said.

"Word was a BSF crew had raided a rival gang's stash house." The black officer said.

"What's BSF?" Don asked looking to Walker.

"Bixel Street Family." Walker said. "That was Bradley's gang at the time."

The second officer spoke up again. "Anyway, team had the day off."

"Commanders wanted everyone on it." Davidson said. "Kid gets killed, politicians want action. Well you know how it is?"

A car drove up with the horn honking.

"So I called everybody in." Walker said.

The second officer and Davidson nodded in agreement.

"Everett had some appointments, didn't get the word till late." The black officer said. "By the time he rolled, we were all out on the street. That was the last we heard of him."

Walker walked toward the car that had just parked.

A woman got out. "What's going on? I got your call. Did you find him?" She asked.

All the officers went and clustered about her.

"No, no, no, not yet." Walker said. "Not yet, not yet." He said trying to hush her.

"I don't understand." The woman said.

"Well, some kids…" Walker put his hand on her shoulder. "Some kids found his badge." He said gently.

"Oh, my God." The woman said. Don watched the men about her as they gently tried to calm her. "What am I going to tell Kevin?" She asked.

"You just let us talk to him, all right?" The black officer said gently.

"Thanks." She said softly as they shepherded her away back toward her car. "All this time, I keep thinking…"

Walker excused himself and walked back to Don. He nodded to him to join him away from the group around the woman. "What's that all about?" Don asked him when they were out of range of hearing to the woman.

"That's Everett's wife." Walker said. "She's worried about their son Kevin."

"Uh-huh." Don nodded.

"We tried to be like a dad to him. But, you can see why we want Calvin Bradley brought to justice." Walker said.

Don nodded and got back into his SUV.

NUMB3RS

Espa was done with her class and she had given Vyxsin a whole stack of papers to grade. She waddled to Charlie's office. She walked in and smiled at him. "Charlie." She said looking at him as he looked up from his computer screen.

"Hi sweetie." He smiled at her and offered her a seat.

She dropped down into it and smiled as she folded her hands over her belly. "Sweetie? I thought that was Amita." She smiled at him.

"You are my sister-in-law. Am I not allowed to call you pet names?" He asked.

She chuckled. "Very well." She nodded. "What are you doing?" She asked looking at the screen. "Looks really hi-tech and…"

"Charlie, have you seen the…" A woman's voice came from behind her.

Espa turned a little and then relaxed. It was fellow department chair Millie Finch.

"Laser Swath Mapping?" Millie asked coming into the room. "Ah…Dr. Eppes." She said nodding to Espa.

"Yeah. Are you familiar with it?" Charlie asked.

"I have told you Millie, my name is Espa." She said.

"Right." She nodded. "I am." She nodded to Charlie. She held coffee in her hand as she moved to join the two. "I consulted once with the Army Corps of Engineers."

"Oh, my." Charlie said.

"They were checking for costal erosion along the Gulf, but this…" She put on her glasses to look from about her neck. "But…this looks local." Millie looked at the screen with interest.

"Well…" Charlie said clearing his throat. "I'm helping the FBI…locate a missing police officer." He said.

"A missing police officer?" Millie said. "I didn't hear anything about that in the news."

"Well, it was back in 1990." Charlie said. "A bunch of kids just recently found his badge in an empty lot."

"So, you're looking for…?" Millie let the sentence drop.

"His body." Charlie finished for her as she dropped into a seat.

"Oh, goodness." Millie said looking back at Espa who was listening to them. "That's…that's an awful thing to happen."

"Yeah." He agreed. He looked up from the computer at his brother's wife. "Were you wanting me to join you for lunch?" He asked softly.

"If you can, but clearly you are busy…" She said.

"No, stay…I will be done in a few minutes. We can grab something and then I can take my findings to Don." Charlie said.

She nodded and relaxed.

Millie took the moment silence to jump in. "So, um, have you seen Amita?" She asked changing the subject entirely.

"She was in her office earlier." Charlie said.

"She's probably hiding from me." Millie said.

"Why would she be hiding from you?" Charlie asked.

"Oh, well, because she resigned as the Chair of the Curriculum Committee." Millie said.

"What, really?" Espa asked. "That is a great thing for her to do."

"She resigned?" Charlie looked at them puzzled.

"Mm-hmm." Millie nodded. "In an email."

"Chairing that committee is an incredible opportunity for her…" Charlie said.

Millie sighed and nodded as she sat back.

Charlie just sighed.

Millie looked up. "Hey, Charlie, um, I left your dad a couple of messages and I haven't heard back from him yet, and I was wondering if you knew if there's a reason he's not calling me?"

Charlie looked at her and then Espa who just shrugged. Charlie chuckled. "Well, he's being sued."

"He's being sued?!" Millie asked stunned.

"Yeah." Charlie said. "Apparently, a golf driving range he's been working on has become an eyesore, literally."

Millie got up and left shaking her head.

Espa looked at her brother-in-law. "She's going to go to him you know."

"Yeah I know." He said. "I don't really care if she does."

"Liar." She said. She smiled at he looked up at her to deny it. "She's your boss and you don't like having her date Dad."

"I don't like it for other reasons besides the fact she is my boss."

"Uh-huh." She said with a smile. "Whatever you say Charlie." She sighed. "Personally, I think it is great that dad is dating someone we know and has a good mind."

"She's a department chair."

"So am I…"

"She's my department chair."

"And…"

"You're married." Charlie said looking at his calculations. "And married to my brother for which I am very thankful. For both of you."

"Yeah, well I was almost your wife, remember." She said rising to look and the screen. She leaned against the desk her hand on a stack of papers. She had her hand thoughtfully resting on the swell of her abdomen as she looked at the blipping screen.

He looked up and smiled. "Yeah." He reached over and touched her hand. "I am glad he made the right choice." He looked at her as she arched an eyebrow. "Not that I would have minded you as a wife…really." He stammered. "I just…" He had realized he had put his foot in his mouth and he hoped he had not insulted his confidant, though she knew him well enough…he hoped to know he did not always mean what came out of his mouth.

She smiled and walked over to him and kissed his knit brow as he tried not to sound so selfish. She hushed him. "I know what you meant Charlie." She sighed and rubbed her face. "You know that would have been really awkward with Donnie still here. You will learn that Dad just wants to have a companion like you and Donnie did. I have Don, you have Amita, and Dad has Millie."

He looked at her and shook his head. "If he marries her I swear I am moving."

She laughed.

NUMB3RS

David went out with two of the officers from Walker's team. They went out and found Calvin Bradley. He was not supposed to meet with gang members because of his parole, but a judge allowed him to because he was rehabilitating them.

Bradley bragged to anyone that was listening that he was going to go after Everett after he killed his kid brother. Words do not always mean action, but on the streets it can mean it.

NUMB3RS

Espa was recruited by Charlie to help him catalog his findings for him on her laptop. She sat typing as he barked out points and numbers to her. She then was giving the information to the agents and officers who were digging.

The agent in charge of the affair was Agent Liz Warner since Don was doing other things looking into Everett's death. She liked Espa, though the two had taken a while to get to talk to each other as anything other than wife of the boss and his underling. Espa as Liz had found out was a good woman and sounding bored. Espa knew that Liz was attracted to her husband, but knew neither would over step bounds there.

"So these are all the spots I have." Charlie said looking down at them.

"How far down do they have to dig?" Liz Warner asked as she walked out from where Espa was sitting.

"Oh, just about…about four feet or so." Charlie said.

"You worked that gang case last year, developed those, uh…What are they called?" Liz asked as she reached up to help Charlie down a ladder from the upper part of the site.

"Shooting chains? Yeah, a, uh, murder leads to a retaliation, and another and another, and yeah, it's a…it's a domino effect sure." Charlie said.

Espa walked out and joined them as she waddled with a hand on her back.

"Any chance you could do that here? See if any other slayings connect this cop's death to Calvin Bradley?" Liz asked as she nodded to the heavily pregnant woman. Liz though she liked Espa and liked her a lot also liked the boss and found him attractive. With the wife here with her belly full of the boss's baby there was no chance for her to turn his head. She was a little jealous, but she could live with it.

"Yeah. It's quite possible." Charlie nodded. He looked at the pad of paper Espa gave him and nodded as he started to write a couple notes.

"Where's your brother?" Liz asked.

"Hmm?" Charlie asked looking back over his shoulder as he walked.

"I mean, I am glad to be in charge, but I have to look for a body and watch out for you and the boss's wife." She smiled at Espa who was waddling next to them. "Is he okay?"

"Oh, he's off with the LAPD. Didn't you know that?" He asked as he continued to move. "Does he know that you're on this case?"

"No, I was put in charge of the field study by his superior." Liz said. She looked at Espa as the woman touched her belly and paused. "You okay?"

"Oh fine. Baby just kicked me." Espa smiled. "Charlie…Do you need me to look more closely at the mapping for you?" She asked wanting to sit again and not follow him around.

"Well…" He paused and looked at her. "Well if you could follow me so I can show you where to look…"

She nodded.

Liz looked at Charlie. "I haven't had a chance to tell him yet." She looked at Espa. "Do you need some water or something?" She asked never having had to deal with a woman as large and close to her date as Espa.

"Oh, well, that'll be a nice surprise for him. More coffee." Charlie smiled. He was ignoring Espa as she stood a little red faced and breathing deeply.

Liz, however, was concerned. "You think? I mean, has he said something to you?" She eyed Espa. "I think you should sit down. I do not want Don to have my head for you going into labor here early."

Espa laughed. "There is no danger of that." She said. "I am more than two months off."

Charlie looked at her. "Will you keep up Espa? I have some important things for you to type into your laptop."

Espa rolled her eyes at Liz who stared at Charlie trying to figure out if he knew that his sister-in-law was as big as a house and trying to follow him as he moved about agilely, saying random things.

"You know, I… he's just been a little…" Liz continued as she walked with Espa at her pace should she need to help the woman as they walked to the tent.

"Well, he's…" Charlie started. He looked at his sister-in-law and smiled a little. "He's been going through some stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Yeah…New sister, new baby…you know how it is." He smiled. "I think you should talk to him about it."

"Isn't that what his wife is for?" Liz asked looking at Espa as she leaned over typing something.

Espa looked at her and snorted. "You will get more of his feeling out of him than I can. He tries to be the macho man husband and nothing hurts him with me." She said and shrugged. Her hand rested on her as she closed her eyes and straightened.

"Seriously, do I need to call anyone?" Liz asked looking at her.

Espa smiled and opened her dark eyes. "No. Here give me your hand."

"What?" Liz asked suspiciously.

"Give it here." Espa said looking at her. Reluctantly, Liz gave Espa her right hand. Espa laid it on her and pressed it against the side of her abdomen.

Liz looked at her stunned and then her eyes dropped as she felt something hit her hand. "The hell…" She whispered. "Is that…?"

"Yeah, that is the baby." Espa nodded. She smiled as the other woman looked at her suddenly fascinated. Liz blinked. She was in a very interesting predicament. It felt like nothing she had ever felt before. The child that moved in there was Don's, a baby he would never give her. Espa was so sweet though for letting her experience this. It was…serene.

"Oh my God." Liz said. "It's…It's…"

"Cool, huh." Charlie said from where he had been watching the women.

"Amazing…" She looked at Espa. "Strong baby. Must be Don's kid."

"Like there is any doubt." Charlie said with a smile.

"I think its playing soccer in there." Espa said as Liz let her hand drop away.

"Don's kid, its baseball." Charlie said with a grin.

Liz looked at Espa and took a breath. "Thank you, Dr. Eppes."

"My name is Espa." Espa smiled and then pulled the started woman into a hug. Liz blinked and then hugged her back. They separated and grinned at each other.

"Agent Warner, we got something." A man called.

The three of them walked toward the voice.

"C1, just as I had suspected." Charlie said pointing to it as he followed the two women.

They came to the pit. Charlie rubbed his head and sighed. Espa swallowed and looked upwards.

"It's him. It's Everett." Liz nodded looking down at the bones with the blue uniform still on it.

Espa sighed. "I'm so sorry." She said.

Liz nodded. "Okay, let's get him to the morgue so then we can bury him." She told the men.

NUMB3RS

Back at the office Liz had rounded up the troops to tell them what they had found. Espa had gone home to relax and have some tea. She had been done for the day and so she was able to help Charlie, but now she was tired.

The coroner's preliminary report said that there was a single bullet to the head and the fracture suggested close range. An execution. Walker had no doubt that it was how Calvin got him there that puzzled him. The kid was smart, but he somehow got shot in the head and left to be buried in a concrete tomb on the construction site.

NUMB3RS

It was enough evidence to get an arrest warrant for Calvin Bradley. Liz and David went to hit the house with LAPD. The LAPD charged in and tried to rough up Calvin before the other two could get there. David broke it up and Liz cuffed him. The two FBI agents took him to the FBI building for interrogation.

NUMB3RS

It was about eight. Espa and Don were supposed to go out to dinner, but with Calvin caught, Don had to go to the FBI to interrogate him. Espa smiled at him and allowed it knowing it was needed. They could go after or tomorrow so she waited in the listening room watching her husband, David, and Gary Walker with Calvin Bradley. Megan sat with her as they watched the four men together.

Gary stood near the one way glass his arms folded about his chest listening while David and Don worked him. Espa had never seen her husband in an actual interrogation and she wondered if he would break his little sister down the same way if he wanted information. With a girl in late teenage years that could be useful.

"You see me here with no lawyer because I have nothing to hide." Calvin said.

"Yeah, why is it you look like you got something to hide, huh?" Don asked leaning against the table near him. Don did not look amused as he watched the younger black man like a hawk.

"Seventeen years, nothing changes." Calvin said. "And you people wonder why we don't want to help the cops."

David pushed a picture of Calvin's body undisturbed in the ground to Calvin. "We found him, Calvin." He said calmly.

"You know who that is right?" Don asked standing and towering over the suspect.

"LAPD officer John Everett." David said. "Same cop that killed your little brother seventeen years ago."

"And disappeared two weeks later." Don finished.

"I have nothing to do with this." Calvin said as he shoved the picture away from him.

"Several witnesses say you threatened officer Everett's life." David said pushing it back.

"I was young. I was a hothead." Calvin said as Don paced like a tiger behind him. "Said some things I didn't mean."

"Hey, his car was found a couple hundred feet from your house." Don said as he paced the room.

"Calvin, man, you've spent more time in a law library than we have." David said. "You know that car gives you opportunity and your brother's death, that gives you motive."

"My little brother was shot down like a dog. Police didn't investigate. You guys didn't care." Calvin said.

"Your little brother was a drug dealer who ran with one of the most violent gangs in the city." Don said as he sat down glaring at him.

"You make it sound like Stephon had choice. Like any of us did." Calvin said. "Got one choice out there, man…Live or die."

"Is that what you told Officer Everett when you put a bullet through his skull?" David asked.

"I've already been to prison for crimes I committed." Calvin said. "I'm going back for one I didn't do."

"Life without parole." Don said. "Okay? That's the only time you're going to hear that offer."

Calvin swallowed. "You people think my brother got what he deserved." He pushed the photo away. "Well…I think same might be said for this cop."

Don rubbed his face.

"What was that you said?" Gary said coming from the wall and stepping forward.

"All right." Don said.

"Say that again." Gary growled.

"Listen, Gary, come on. Hey, Gary." Don said rising to catch Gary as Gary moved to jump over the table. "Gary, Gary! Hey Gary!" Don grabbed him and held him back. "All right, all right. Listen."

David shoved Calvin down. "Down!" He barked.

"Could I talk to you a second?" Gary asked as Don lifted his hands to hush him.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yep." Don said. He looked about and took a breath.

They walked out together with Don walking behind.

Espa walked out as Megan went to check on something. Espa waddled to them. "Are you alright?" She asked.

"Yeah, we are fine. You can't do that around here, you know?" Don said as the exited. "You got to calm down." He looked at him. "Sweetheart, can you get us some coffee?" He asked as he sighed.

"Sure." Espa said looking at them before turning to go to the break room.

"Whew. Okay." Gary said. "If he wants to desecrate the memory of one of my men. You just let me have a piece of him, I'll get a confession."

"No, I can't do that." Don said shaking his head.

"Come on, Eppes, just take a walk, go have dinner with your wife, or whatever." Gary said looking at him.

Don eyed him. "I understand how you feel. It's not gonna happen, all right?"

"Okay, listen. Before Everett disappeared, he was worried about retribution." Walker said. "He had heard things on the street."

"And we're running that down." David said joining them.

"Yeah, well, I've been running it down for seventeen years." Walker said. "And now, you have the man. You have him sitting right here. The guy who killed him. Now, if you two don't have the stomach for it…"

"That's not the case. Calm down." Don said. "All right? We tried." He looked about. "We don't have enough to hold the guy. Period."

Espa and Megan came forward. Espa handed Don and Gary coffee. Gary held his as Don took a sip and offered his wife a smile.

"Are you setting him free?" Gary asked.

Don sighed. "Yeah, you bet I'm setting him loose."

Gary took a breath and handed the coffee back to Espa. "Sorry Espa. Excuse me." He said as he turned and watched off.

"Gary…" Espa started after him, but Don caught her arm gently. She turned to looked at him.

"Honey, let him go." Don said gently. He then walked and wiped his hand over his eyes and groaned.

"Someone's not happy." Megan said.

Espa nodded. "No kidding." She said as she reached out and touched Don's arm. "Donnie?"

"Bradley called our bluff." David said.

"Well, it's about to get more interesting." Megan said looking down at a file. Espa gently caressed her husband's back as he stood there and looked at Megan. "The ballistics are in. The bullet that killed Everett came from a .38."

"What A revolver?" Don raised his eyebrow.

"A revolver that was issued to Everett. It's his duty weapon." Megan sighed. "Same gun killed Stephon Bradley."

"That would mean Everett was killed with his own gun." David said shocked as he looked at Megan and then the Eppes'.

Espa looked at Don. "What?" She asked her hand going to her belly. "Are you serious? How?"

"Yeah." Megan said nodding.

Don looked at his wife and then his team. "Well…" He sighed and looked down. "We need to go dinner. I need to get my mind out of this for a little while. Come on honey." He said to his wife.

She took a breath. "Do you need to stay and…"

"No." He said. "I owe you a dinner and I am starved. I know you are too." He then wrapped an arm about her and led her away from the group. He grabbed his coat from his bullpen chair.

NUMB3RS

Megan went to talk to Everett's wife and she asked him about how he was feeling. She remembered him worried. Megan mentioned depression and the woman was not sure what to say about that.

NUMB3RS

Don returned to the office after seeing his kids to bed at home. He made Espa promise to put her feet up and relax and sleep while he went back to the office. She protested gently and then smiled at him and kissed him. His girls never slept well unless daddy tucked them in and he enjoyed the small moments with them where he was their dad and their hero.

He returned to the office and went to the break room for some coffee.

"Walker's got Bradley tried and convicted." Liz said walking in breaking his reverie about his daughter's sleepy faces looking at him and smiling, happy to see him.

"Yeah, I know, I know." Don said adding cream to the coffee. "Want some coffee?" He asked.

"No, I'm good." She said. She took a step forward. "So what's…what's going on?" She asked. "Is everything okay?" She cocked her head.

"Yeah, yeah, just some stuff." Don said trying avoid talking about it. "I mean, I don't really want to talk about it." He said not looking at her.

"Are you sure? I mean, Talking's not what I had in mind, but I'm worried. So is your wife." She grinned. "Since I…I can't…" She smiled. "I mean, you are so happy, but you seem kinda down and not really talking."

"Uh, isn't this sexual harassment?" He asked biting on his stir stick as he eyed her.

She leaned closer. "Oh, I'll give you sexual harassment." She teased as she looked at him playfully. "We can talk over coffee you know. It is good for both of us. Let off steam about work. I could never…"

"My wife would kill me. You know she owns more guns than I do." Don said smirking. "Besides…I have her, Lupe, and the new baby coming to worry about…" He looked up at another agent coming in for coffee. He smiled. "Hey."

"Hey." The man greeted.

Liz walked to the door and pushed it open. "I want your input on that, Eppes." She said smiling.

"Yeah, roger that." Don said nodding as he took a sip of his coffee. Liz Warner was an attractive woman and if he was not happy married and in his active bachelor sex life he might have pursued her for a weekend romp in the covers, but he was happily married and had all the sex he wanted.

He sighed and leaned against the table. Talking might be nice. Maybe he could talk to her more about work and talk to his wife more about what she did. Lately it had been him talking about what was happening at work and she could not talk about being a department chair at all. He felt bad. Yeah, he needed to change that. He also needed to come to terms with Lupe having sex as a young teenager. That was going to take time and work too. Especially now that she was not just Espa's baby sister, but his own adopted baby sister.

After working another hour he went home to his sleeping family. He wrapped himself about his wife's body as the clock struck midnight. He sighed and relaxed breathing the sent of Espa's shampoo and the calming scent of his wife's body as sleep took him.

NUMB3RS

The next morning Amita and Charlie were working on their laptops trying to hammer out equations for Don and the team. Espa had joined them for and early lunch before a meeting and a class she was teaching.

The statistics for the gang deaths in LA were very few only a few years ago in 1977 there were only 500 murders in LA. By 1985 the number had doubled. It was the introduction of mass produced drugs on the street that had caused it. Territories shifting and fighting on the streets that had led to more killings.

Charlie harassed Amita about quitting the chairship of the curriculum committee. Amita was shocked that Millie had told her. Neither Larry nor Charlie were asked to chair that committee and he thought she was making a big mistake walking away.

She left because what had been said about her and Charlie. She didn't want Charlie to protect her and he should not have to.

NUMB3RS

The FBI team sat taking to each other in the bullpen as Gary came up looking angry.

"Agent Reeves." He started without preamble. "Did you mention something about suicide?" He asked as he came to tower over where she sat. "Did you mention to Everett's wife that he killed himself?"

"No, I never said that." She said.

"I know you didn't say that. But did you say something about, 'Well, he was depressed…?'"

"Eh, he was depressed, Lieutenant." She said.

"Now, you shouldn't…you really had no right to do that." He growled straightening to glare at everyone there.

"Don't come in here telling us what rights we do or don't have, Gary." Don said lifting a finger. He would not like the other man back his Agent into a corner for doing her job. "Now, I understand how you feel…"

"No, I don't think you do understand Eppes." Walker said. "I don't think you understand how I feel. I don't think you know what it's like to be living it in the streets, the way we do." Don lifted a hand to try and calm him, but dropped it as Walker continued his tirade. "I don't think you know what, and back then, it was war. Cops were dying every day trying to take back this city. And Everett was one of them."

"Did you know Everett was killed with his own gun?" David asked.

"What?!" Gary looked at him as his mouth fell open.

"Yeah, ballistics matched the bullet to the .38 that killed Bradley, all right? Take a look." Don said reaching for the file off his desk.

"Wha…I don't need to see that. What are you talking about? That means that Bradley got a hold of Everett's gun and he shot him with it." Walker said. "So what? The body was buried, remember? How did that happen?"

"I said it before…the construction crew could've buried his body and not ever known about it." David said gently.

"What are you doing? Are you writing Calvin Bradley's closing argument now?" Walker asked. "I knew Everett. He wouldn't have killed himself." The team was silent taking a breath.

Charlie and Espa walked in. Each was carrying a bag. Espa smiled at them as Don moved to stand and greet them. "I got something." Charlie said.

Walker turned to look at him before everyone went into the war room. Espa lowered her pregnant body with a hand from Gary. Though Walker was angry at the team he was not going to take it out on an innocent bystander who was very pregnant.

"Are you all right?" He asked concerned as she gasped, a hand going to her side as Charlie set up his computer.

"Yes…just kicked." She smiled at him.

Don nodded a thank you to him as he rubbed his wife's shoulders gently before moving to see what Charlie had found.

"The gang case I worked on last year my guiding principle was their territorial nature. And it turns out these gang members spent their whole lives living within a ten-block radius. Their turf."

"Right, I remember." Don said. "They live a mile from the ocean, and some of them never even seen it…"

"Right, so here is a map of all known gang territories back in 1990 and using the theory of collective behavior…I…" Charlie said pointing to the board. He looked back at Walker and Espa exchanging looks. Espa shrugged at Walker who just rolled his eyes.

Charlie cleared his throat. "Lieutenant Walker, imagine a colony of ants searching for food. They send out a scout and that scout wanders around randomly. It that scout finds food, well, then the colony marks that path as good. If he doesn't find food, then that path is marked as neutral. And if that scout never returns, you better believe that path as marked as bad. Same thing works with gangs. Calvin Bradley was a member of the Bixel Street Family." He pointed. "This was their territory back in 1990." He looked back. "Thanks to my lovely sister-in-law that went archive digging for me." She smiled at him. He moved his hand as he looked to the screen again. "Everett's body was found here in an area controlled by a gang called the 18th Street Mexicali."

"18 Street Mexicali and Bixel Street Family were rivals." Walker said.

"Factoring in for territorial gang shifts…" Charlie said as suddenly lines moved along the screen. "I can not find a single safe passage.

"For Bradley to travel from his turf to a rival's turf to even have killed Everett." Don said as he stood with one foot on a chair leaning against his leg beside his wife watching.

"It would be like a Sunni going for a ride in a Shi'ite neighborhood." Charlie said again smiling at his sister-in-law who had used that expression to him before.

"So Calvin Bradley wasn't our killer." David said.

Charlie looked up and everyone exchanged looks. Walker was still trying to process that as he stared at the map. He broke from his thoughts to look down at Espa who was trying to push herself up from her chair. She was thirsty. He moved to help her, but Don pressed a hand to his wife.

"What do you need honey?" Don asked.

"Water…I was going to run into the break room holding my breath against the coffee." She said.

"I'll get it." He said looking at her. "You stay there. You are on your feet too much lecturing as it is." He said. He bent and kissed her cheek and then walked out.

As he returned the group was still in silence, but Walker was keeping an eye on Don't wife as she shifted trying to get comfortable.

Don decided to run her home so his wife could nap. He knew she had worked hard to help them this afternoon and he wanted to have her relax. As pregnant as she was, she was in no shape to up for hours on end.

NUMB3RS

Liz joined Megan and David in the bullpen as Megan got her up to speed.

"So Calvin Bradley would've had trouble getting to the crime, which…doesn't make him innocent."

"Yeah, Charlie's math is all about probabilities. So if he says it's unlikely, it probably is…" David said looking at a map print out.

"Which takes us back to what" Megan asked. "Suicide?"

"Well, what if we just keep following the probabilities." Liz suggested.

"Meaning what?" David asked.

"Well, if the math says it's doubtful anyone from a rival gang would have access to the 18 Street Mexicali territories that narrows our suspect list down." Liz said.

"To someone in the 18 Street Mexicali crew." "Megan said.

"Right." Liz nodded.

"I'll talk to Charlie about running some names." David said.

NUMB3RS

Espa was reading as she watched her father-in-law swinging a golf club at a net he had set up in the morning. He had a ton of lights on as he hit a ball into the net. Espa was hiding back from it because the light hurt her eyes.

The girls were playing with Lupe upstairs and she could occasionally hear a bump as someone walked around.

"Hey! Wow! What's going on?" Millie asked peaking in the door.

Gretchen started barking at her and Espa called her over as the dog growled and stood her ground near the door.

"Gretch-wetch…come here you stink. She's a friend. Come in Millie. Ignore the dog alarm." Espa called over her. "Gretchen! Come!" That time the little black dog followed orders and returned to her mistress, but kept an eye on the intruder.

"Whoa!" Alan barked as he turned to see who it was. "Oh, hi."

"Hi, the door was open." Millie said. "I hope you don't mind."

"Oh, no, no." Alan said teeing up again. "Not at all. Come in."

"Good." Millie said. "Thanks."

Espa pushed herself up from the couch she had been occupying and smiled. "I will put some tea on and get some cookies."

"That isn't…" Millie started as the young woman waddled passed her.

"Of course it is. I still can be a good hostess in the house I used to live in." Espa said waving her off. "I was wanting a cup of mint anyway. Do you have a preference? I have all kinds."

"Do you have Earl Grey?" Millie asked.

"Earl Greyer." Espa smiled.

"Even better." Millie nodded.

"Do you want green Dad?"

"Yeah. Do you still have Dragonwell?" He asked.

"Yep." Espa nodded as she disappeared into the kitchen.

"She takes such good care of me." Alan said with a smile. "I appreciate her more than the boys do I think."

"I know Don loves her and Charlie cares for her. Why else would she be pregnant and popping out grandbabies for you." Millie said.

Alan smiled. "I know Don loves her and respects her, but as often as she has been pregnant…they are going to have their third baby in diapers soon. Though Zephyr will be out of them in a couple of months I am sure. She is a smart cookie."

"Wonder where she got that from." Millie said. Alan chuckled. She looked about. "Wow. What's going on? I love what you've done with the room, huh."

"You do?" Alan arched an eyebrow.

"Very, uh, 'Early American interrogation room'…it's nice." Millie said. "I can see your pores."

"You notice, eh?"

"So, so what? Charlie told me about this whole lawsuit thing." She said.

"Yeah."

"I just wanted to come give you some moral support."

"Well, uh, thank you, I appreciate that, but what I really need are answers."

"Yeah, to what?"

"I've been going over my original calculations. They're absolutely right. I just don't understand the problem for the life of me. I am trying to simulate it here."

"I see." Millie said putting on her glasses. "Angles of incidence, good. You got reflection, absorption, saturation coefficients…" she picked up a club with a dog cover on it. "Very impressive, very impressive, Mr. Eppes. Now I see where Charlie gets his interest in numbers."

"Well, I'm afraid there's only one genius in this family." Alan said.

"Oh, I don't know. I know Espa is one of the smartest minds in her department and Don is one of the best FBI agents…" She smiled watching him tea up again. "Hey, I know, I know Charlie's bust helping out Don, and if you're interested I'm available." He paused and looked back at her stunned. Espa walked in with a tray and saw his look of dismay and smiled. "To go over your figures." Millie said.

"My figures."

"Yes."

"Tea is served." Espa said as she took her pot, cup, saucer, and three cookies back to the couch to recline again.

"I got it." Alan said.

"Put your head down." Millie said

They both laughed and snickered as they grabbed their teas. They dropped into chairs near Espa as she laid there her feet up on a pillow. Gretchen hopped up and snuggled down against her mistress's back.

"That is a cute dog." Millie said.

"She's our house alarm." Alan smiled. "She sounds like a Doberman and is a dachshund." He grinned. "My furry grandchild that Don first gave me."

They all laughed.

NUMB3RS

Don went out to find Gary. He was told by his team that he was likely at Henry's bar down the street since he was off duty and confused about how he felt. Don found him sitting at the bar sipping a scotch.

Don ordered a club soda since Espa would not let the stuff in her house. He liked it. Gary started to talk to him about he could not believe that he had tried to put it on Calvin Bradley for seventeen years and he might be innocent.

Don pointed out it was not over yet and it still could have been him. Don reminded him that they all followed their gut. It was different now, not like the old days for working the streets. Gary knew that Everett would not have killed himself, but who else would have.

Don has him tell him about the 18th Street Mexicali gang. They are no longer around. They were the biggest suppliers in the area. Don knew that if he was shot in their territory someone had to have known about it.

NUMB3RS

The two of them went to a truck loading dock to find Jimmy Lopez. Don flashed his shield and ID as he asked the manager. The man pointed Don to a big rig near by. Walker was already looking around.

Don walked to the side of the rig and saw a Latino man bent down looking at something. He had 18th tattooed on his shaved skull. Don flashed his ID to him and asked to talk to him.

Walker came about the other way and as Jimmy lifted his hands as directed by Don, he recognized Walker. The two stood and interrogated him there. Don stayed back and allowed Gary to interview the younger man and even throw him up against the side of the rig. Gary threatened him because he knew that the one time snitch had to know something.

Jimmy told them that Everett had been whacked by the BSF for the Stephon shooting. Jimmy pointed out with no offense intended that when gang bangers wanted to go after the police, they had common ground.

Don and Walker just looked at each other and then let him get back to work.

NUMB3RS

Charlie was working on his clear board when Amita came to talk to him. Amita had had a long conversation with Espa just before. Espa had encouraged her and so she went to go see Charlie.

Charlie tried to point out he had been scared as well and that he found out he was more scared of quitting than anything.

Amita told him what she was going to do it. After talking to Espa who was neutral and kind, she made up her mind and would go for it. It was nothing she could not manage.

Charlie offered his help to her, should she need it. Amita thanked him and told him she would ask both him and Espa if she needed help, but only if she really needed it. Otherwise, she could not grow.

Amita looked at his board. None of the shooting chains go back to a common shooter which was puzzling to them both. She pointed out that he is missing a variable that he did not account for. The victim's movements. That got Charlie thinking again.

NUMB3RS

Don and Walker again went to the FBI to hammer out some details. They walked together as Don picked up a file from his desk.

"All right, so according to this, 18 Street had two triggers at the time of Everett's death." Don said as he walked in step with Walker.

They walked into the war room. "It could still be anyone in the gang." Walker said as Don opened the door and he walked in. "I'm hoping your brother's got an answer."

"All right, Charlie, hey, tell me you got a name for us." Don said as he looked around a board that was blocking his vision. "What are you doing here Esperanza?" He asked his wife as he saw her sitting there in a chair near Charlie. "You are supposed to be home resting and relaxing…"

"I am relaxed." She said looking up at him. She did not like it when he called her by her full name. It made her feel like a child in trouble.

He walked to her holding the file in one hand as his look scolded her. She looked up and found no sympathy from Gary who was keenly watching her as well. She looked at Charlie for help.

Don eyed his brother. "You are enabling her." He said. "She is supposed to be resting and…"

"Espa again has been digging in archives for me…for us. No, no. Something else is what I have for you."

Megan sat down next to Espa and smiled at her. She then looked up at the men. "Charlie looked at the timeline of events for Everett on the day he was killed." She said.

Don looked at the map on the screen and then back at his wife daring her to move from her seat. She smiled sweetly at him. "I am fine. I was sitting the whole time looking at archives."

"You didn't lift any boxes did you?" He asked his dark gaze boring into her. She shook her head and batted her eyes at him. She knew she was not supposed to and so her TA had done all that, but she knew Charlie had things to say so she looked up at him.

That made Don look at his brother.

"And I applied critical path analysis, which is a mathematical way of looking at the most effective manner to complete tasks." Charlie said standing before them. Walker nodded following him so far. "If you're cooking a holiday dinner, and you cook it all at the same time, well, some of your food's gonna end up burnt. Some of your food's gonna end up cold. What you need to do is prepare and cook each part of the meal in an effective order and monitor them simultaneously so that you serve all hot food at all the same time. Now, the same concept applies for Everett. And he changed two appointments he made that day." He said nodding to Espa to click on his laptop. She was pointedly ignoring her husband's glare.

"All right…I mean, so why's this significant?" Don asked as he turned from glaring at his wife to the map to see what his brother had found.

"Because people tend to schedule meetings as close to one another as they can." Charlie said. "Schedule them in a progressive order if they can."

"Kind of like a…math of convenience." Megan said as she rubbed her neck. "But his body and his car were a few miles apart."

Walker listened attentively.

"Meaning that either Everett was killed where he was found and his car was moved afterwards or…" Charlie said and was cut off by Walker.

"Or else he drove to the Bixel Street turf and was transported to where we found him some other way." Walker said. He was still not convinced that Bradley was innocent.

Don folded his arms listening to his brother as Espa sat manning the computer.

"Thus making one of these two pieces of data skewed." Charlie said. "So…" He nodded again to Espa. "I ran two different analyses. I gave probability scores to the areas that Everett was most likely headed to." He said pointing to the screen as it came up.

"Now, this first map assumes that he was headed to where his body was found, to the 18 Street Mexicali territory, making this…" He point to a spot on the map. "His most likely next destination."

"All right, and if he drove to Bixel turf?" Don asked.

"Then Everett was most likely headed here by a more efficient path.." Charlie said pointing to a patch of blue.

Walker looked at it and took a few steps forward.

"Do you see something?" Megan asked.

"Well, back in 1990, Internal Affairs had their headquarters right here." Walker said pointing on street down from the blue patch on the screen.

"Internal Affairs?" Megan asked.

Espa looked at the papers she had. "Yeah…he is right." She said looking up. "The moved in 2000." She said.

"Why would he be headed there?" Don asked to no one in particular.

They all looked at each other and sighed. Nothing was said for a long moment.

Don then looked at Charlie. "Good work bro. We will work on this tomorrow. We all need sleep if this is going where I thin it is going." He eyed Walker. "And my wife needs to get home. My kids need their mother."

"They need their dad too." Gary said looking at him. He smiled ruefully. "Give them my love will you." He said. "Good night Eppes." He took a step forward. "Good night, Espa. Put your feet up will you. Tomorrow is Saturday and you deserve it." He chided good naturedly to her. He smiled kindly.

She sighed. She did not like to be coddled by all the men around her. "Okay…I will." She said.

Charlie smiled and bent and kissed her cheek. "Thanks."

Don nodded his thanks as he shepherded his wife to the bullpen, grabbed his jacket, and then they walked out hand in hand. "Good night everyone." He said waving at the others.

NUMB3RS

It was midmorning. Don was finishing dressing when he noticed his wife watching him. She had likely been watching him since he returned from his shower and padded around the room naked.

"What are you wearing?" She asked noting he was wearing a long sleeve shirt, t-shirt, and a vest over that. She sat up and sighed. He was wearing jeans as well. It was going to be a casual work day.

"It is getting cooler." He said looking at her.

"Cooler? It is sixty." She said looking at the clock to the side of her bed.

"Exactly." He smiled and walked to her. He bent down and kissed her as he pressed her back to the pillows. He pulled back. "Please rest today." He said.

"I rest everyday." She said. She sighed. "I have the babies today. I will be going over to Alan's when they start waking up." She said.

"Good. He will keep you off your feet." He said with a smile. "Have a good day. I will try and go over there for lunch." He said.

He walked into the FBI office and noted his team was already at work in the war room. He went and joined them a smile on his face. "Morning." He said.

"Morning." Everyone else said.

"So Charlie was right. Everett was on his way to Internal Affairs and was killed before he got there." David said.

Don nodded as he started to pace. "Yeah, that ain't a coincidence…no way." He looked up as Liz Wagner and Walker walked in.

"Okay, so why was he on his way to IA." David asked.

"Well, Everett shot Stephon Bradley. Right?" Don said as he continued to pace. Liz dropped into a seat to listen.

"Yeah." David nodded. "But a shooting board ruled it as a good kill."

"Yeah, they did, only IA was taking another look." Walker said.

"Yeah, why's that?" Don asked pausing to look at him.

"Well, three days before Everett shot him, Stephon Bradley was picked up by Homicide." Walker said. "He was wanted for a series of murders."

"He was taking down rival gang's stash houses and killing everyone inside." Liz said.

"And he offered to trade information against dirty cops." Walker said slowly.

"Was he dirty, Gary?" Don asked as he continued to pace.

"No." Walker said firmly. "I don't believe that."

"What were the circumstances of the killing?" Don asked.

"We got a tip that Bradley had committed a double murder. We found him at his girlfriend's house. Everett covered the back, Bradley tried to bolt for it. Everett shot him." Walker said.

Don paused and looked at him. "Starting to smell like a bad kill." He said.

Walker eyed him.

"All right, so…Everett was headed to Internal Affairs to confess, and he stopped in the BSF territory on the way." Liz said. "Why?"

"Well, a cop with a guilty conscience, he might wanna come clean to the, uh…the brother of the guy he killed before he went to IA." Megan said.

"You saying that Everett went to see Calvin Bradley?" Walker asked.

"Walked into the arms of the one man who wanted to see him dead." David sighed.

NUMB3RS

Don and Walker got into Don's SUV and went looking for Calvin Bradley. They found him walking down the street toward his house. The cutting him off with the SUV and then patted him down.

They confronted Calvin about Everett going to see him. Calvin admitted that and told them he had left them alive. He had come to apologize to him. He accused Walker of doing crimes or rather having other people do it for him.

Calvin told them that the cops were giving him tips of where drug houses were so he could rip them off. They then wanted to kill Stephon when he wanted to tell the truth. Whatever his brother was, the cops made him that way.

Walker was stunned and allowed the young man to go. He now had no idea what to think.

NUMB3RS

Espa was at Charlie's home. The girls were upstairs napping since it was the middle of the afternoon. Espa herself was sitting on the couch listening to her father-in-law on the phone getting angry at the man on the other line.

"Yeah, well, you can ask, but I'm not giving you a deposition." Alan said as he paced about. "No, not until I know more facts." There was a knock at the door. "Yeah, come in." He called before returning to his call. "All right, if that's your position you can talk to my lawyer. You got it." He said and hung up as he looked over and saw Millie coming in with some drawings in her hands as well as a club with the white animal cover on it. "Do you know a good lawyer?" He asked.

"I do. I know several." Millie said.

Espa looked up at Millie and smiled. "Hi, Millie." She sat up. "Can I get you anything?"

"Sure…got a coke?" Millie asked.

"Yeah…" Espa said. She got up and walked to the kitchen.

"Good." Alan nodded.

"Alan." Millie said.

"Geez…"

"Come here." Millie said.

"Huh?"

"Come here. Come." Millie told him. "Relax. Here. Sit." She said softly as Espa came back with Millie's coke, a Pepsi for Alan, and a Sprite for herself. "No. it's all right, breathe." She said softly.

Espa smiled. "I have been trying that for a hour." She said.

Alan sighed as he dropped into the chair.

"Relax." Millie said as she began to rub his tired rock hard shoulders from all the stress he had. "All right, it's gonna be fine." She said.

Espa set the drinks down and then dropped into a chair near them. "She's right, Dad."

"All right, we are gonna tackle each problem, one at a time." Millie continued.

"Albert Einstein said that?" Alan asked.

"No, I read it on the back of an iced tea bottle." Millie said as she pressed some of the knots making Alan gasp.

"Oh." Alan said.

"It still applies." She smiled.

Espa patted his knee. "Its okay, Dad. We will get through this."

"You are supposed to be resting." He reminded her.

"I am." She protested.

He looked at her skeptically and she pouted. He smiled and touched her hand. "I know, honey. You have an active mind and being forced to lay about is torture." He smiled gently at her.

She sighed and nodded. "It's not fair." She said sounding like a teenager.

Millie smiled. "It will soon be over." She smiled. She leaned down to Alan. "You know what I did?" She asked. She sat down. "I simulated your design on the CAD program at CalSci." She said laying down a paper next to him.

Alan put on his glasses to read. "Well, I thought things like this were, uh, frowned upon by certain administrators." He said looking at her.

"So I'm busted. But who's gonna tell on me? Me?" She asked.

All three of them chuckled as Alan looked at the drawings.

"Well, if that million-dollar computer of yours is, uh, correct…" Alan started and trailed off.

"There's no way that, that driving range can be as bright as the plaintiffs claim it is." Millie said.

"I know, but the measure of the foot-candles is just off the charts." Alan said. "So, I, it, it…it doesn't…Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I know what this means." He said pointing.

"The hue of the poly propylene is wrong." Millie said looking down.

"They didn't use the synthetic grass that I specified." Alan said.

Millie smiled. "The contractor used a cheaper material which reflects…"

"Which reflects more light!" Alan said. He removed his glasses. "See?!" He laughed. "Well, I'm off the hook." He said.

"Except for your electric bill is gonna go through the roof." Millie observed.

"Oh, that's all right." Alan smiled. He looked back and then turned back grinning. "Charlie owns the place now." He looked at his daughter-in-law who was shaking her head.

"Dad, don't you think you should warn him?" Espa asked.

"I will." He smiled. He stood up and kissed her cheek. "Thank you honey for the moral support." He looked at Millie. "And thank you so much for your help."

NUMB3RS

The FBI team was trying to rationalize what they had been told. They sat in the bullpen talking. Walker was with Megan and David as the talked about the stash house rip offs.

They needed to find the informant that gave the cops the intelligence on the stash houses so that Bradley could rip them off. All the rip offs were in Mexican gang territories except for one. The only one was in 18 Street Mexicali. The same territory where Everett's body was found. They got a free ride because the guy giving information was part of the gang and did not want to snitch on his own brothers.

It was Jimmy Lopez.

NUMB3RS

That night David, Walker, and Liz went to the truck depot to see Jimmy. His boss was trying to find him too. They looked in the truck's cab, not sign of him. Then they opened the back and found Jimmy, dead from an apparent overdose against the trailer wall. He had been keeping a secret for seventeen years from Walker and now was dead.

NUMB3RS

The next morning had the team in the war room looking at the reports that the coroner had given them.

"Just doesn't add up." Liz said looking at the pictures. "Lopez was clean for years."

"You think the pressure of being questioned by you guys pushed him over the edge?" Megan asked.

"Or someone else did." Walker said. "The tip of the needle is broken off in his arm." He observed.

"Really?" Megan asked looking for herself.

"What, like he fought back?" Don asked.

"Toxicology reports show a mixture of heroin, strychnine, and powered milk." David said.

"Nice little cocktail." Liz said with a snort.

"What are you thinking?" Megan asked.

"Most drug dealers are very consistent in the way they cut their drugs." David said.

"That's true…" Walker agreed. "A signature, brand…helps them sell it on the street."

"Maybe we get a tox report from Lopez's OD over to Charlie." David suggested.

"He can compare the drugs in Lopez's system to the other ODs in the Coroner's database?" Megan asked catching what he was meaning.

"Sure, go for it." Don nodded. "It's worth a shot, right?"

David nodded and got up to make the call.

NUMB3RS

Charlie was at work at his office. Espa had run the girls home after taking them to Sunday school and then had come in to help him look through reports. She could call out values and he could figure them into his equations.

"Statistical identification?" Amita asked coming into the room.

"Right." Charlie nodded not turning to her. "Just looking at toxicology records of recent ODs. I'm trying to match a specific drug combo to a dealer."

She nodded and looked over. "Strychnine…that's poison." Amita said.

"It's a trace does." Charlie said. "It's not enough to kill. You know, dealers put it their heroin mixes."

"Poison plus heroin." Amita said. She arched an eyebrow.

"It makes the high hit your system faster." Espa said looking up from her piles of paper on Charlie's desk. "A slight dose will make the high hit you harder and faster and so the maker would be looked for on the streets."

"Why the powered milk?" Amita asked.

"Just a cutter. Better than gasoline in Meth isn't it?" Espa shrugged. "It is inert and will do nothing and is cheap."

Charlie looked over. "Why is it you know so much about the drug trade? I do wonder about you at times." He smiled.

"I am married to Don." Espa smiled.

Amita nodded. "I see."

"Yeah. A witness who identified our cop killer OD'd, so I'm…we…are just trying to trace the drug supply." Charlie said. "What's happening with the committee?"

Espa looked up with interest as well.

Amita sighed. "Some of the faculty are demanding, but…I think I'm up for the job." She said watching Charlie go to look over some things at the desk where Espa was sitting.

Espa smiled. "I knew you were."

"I never doubted it." Charlie said. "What are you working on?"

"Uh, Millie has me working on some cluster analysis using autocorrelation techniques to analyze the most effective undergrad classes in the past two years." Amita said.

"Nere-um." Espa said looking up at her as she moved her hand over her head.

Amita smiled.

"Even going through the past two semesters would be a ton of work." Charlie said.

"Yeah." Amita agreed. "Millie thinks there's as much to be learned from the old curriculum as the current."

Espa levered herself up. "I agree. I have to have just such a committee made in a couple of weeks." She smiled. "Wanna do my departments too."

Amita glanced at the woman as she came over. "Do I look suicidal?"

Charlie froze and looked at the women.

Amita saw his stare. "What is it?" She asked.

"You know what? Can we talk later?" He asked.

"Okay." Amita said.

"I gotta go. Espa, I need you." He said as he rushed out the door.

"Wait, Charlie." Espa called. "I am pregnant and very fat…I cannot run." She barked after him.

NUMB3RS

The team was still putting their heads together about what was going on in the war room as they waited for Charlie to come back with the results.

"We got LAPD looking up all his known associates." Don said pointing to the board near him.

Charlie burst in with Espa in tow. Espa dropped into a chair a little out of breath looking up at the team.

"Hey." Charlie said. "So I ran the drugs in Jimmy Lopez's system against all recent ODs in the coroner's office, right?" He was a little out of breath too, but was excited to tell them the information Espa and he had found digging in the achieves of the LA Medical Examiner.

"Yeah, and?" Don said. He looked at his wife. "You okay?" He asked looking at her.

She smiled. "Fine." She said reaching for his water bottle that he was holding. He gave it to her and she opened it and drank some as Charlie sat down with his laptop. Don stood behind her and touched her back to relax her as he looked at his brother. He was not amused that his brother had dragged her into this again, but he had to admit they were getting good information.

"There were no matches to any current dealers, which is why I re-ran every overdose in the coroner's database, including old overdoses, and I got a hit…several hits actually. Three overdoses going back over a year all tracing back to a drug dealer named Hector Osorio." He said bringing up their files and pictures onto the screen.

Megan typed Osorio into her laptop that was attached to the FBI database. "Uh, Osorio was busted by Lieutenant Davidson's narco team." She said looking up. Walker cocked his head a little. A large quantity of drugs were seized."

Don moved to stand before the screen. He tucked his hands in his back pockets. "Which would be in the evidence room."

Walker looked up at him.

"And who would have access to those drugs?" David asked.

Walker took a breath. "The lead detective of the team, my guy, Davidson." Walker said looking up. A look of shock and betrayal came across his face.

NUMB3RS

Don drove Walker in his SUV to the police station where Walker based out of. Davidson was in the lot shutting the truck of his car when Walker jumped out and started to stalk toward him. Don moved behind him hoping to keep a fight between the two…or keep Walker from just killing Davidson.

"Hey, Walker, what's up?" Davidson asked cheerfully. "You guys got any news?" He asked. He looked at Walker's hostile look and blinked. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Look you're under…" Don started.

Walker took a step forward and punched the unsuspecting man. He fell back against the car stunned.

"All right, all right!" Don said. "You're under arrest for the murder of John Everett."

"What are you talking about?" Davidson asked reaching to hold his jaw. Don pulled out his gun and put it in his belt as Walker prowled like a panther.

"They traced the drugs in Lopez's system to a bust that your team made, huh?" Walker growled leaning closer.

"So what?" Davidson asked.

Don held an arm to Walker's chest as he chewed his gum letting Walker say his peace.

"Yeah, that means that you poisoned Lopez with those drugs." Walker yelled at him. "Tell me the truth!"

"You got nothing." Davidson said. "You don't got jack on me."

Walker lounged forward and started to strangle the man. "We…got…jack…on…you!" He growled. "How could you do that?!"

"All right, get off!" Don barked pulling trying to pull Walker off.

"You ate at Everett's table!" Walker continued to strangle him and yell.

"Hey!" Don yelled at Walker trying to get his attention before he took himself to the same level.

"You helped raise his son!" Walker continued.

"Gary, cut it out!" Don said struggling to get Davidson free from Walker. "Back off!" He finally got Walker away. "This isn't helping!" He turned around to Davidson. "Turn around! Get your hands behind your back!"

Davidson reluctantly did so. Don cuffed him as Davidson eyed Walker. "We never took a dime. I made the streets safer. Every drug dealer that Bradley whacked…"

Walker lounged again and Don caught him and pulled him back. "I don't believe you!"

"No!" Don barked pushing him himself between them. "Gary! Calm Down!"

"I need to…!" Walker said fighting him.

"Not one drug dealer Bradley whacked ever killed another kid with junk!" Davidson continued as he looked at Walker. "You got that?! I made the streets safer!"

"So when Everett was about to rat you out, you killed him." Walker asked. "Is that what you…" He grabbed a hold of Don for support.

"Because he had it coming!" Davidson barked.

"You set him up…" Walker said as Don put his arm out to hold him back.

"All right, all right." Don said trying to calm Walker. Don walked Davidson backwards keeping himself between them.

"…to take the shot." Walker said in shock and anger.

"Gary…no…" Don said.

"Let me just see him for one second." Walker said reaching for him.

"He was gonna go to IA!" Davidson protested.

"Let me just…Give me that!" Walker said pushing up Davidson's blazer. He grabbed the man's shield and held it in his hand as Don pulled Davidson back to the SUV.

"All right, all right, all right." Don said.

"Get this piece of crap away from me!" Walker said turning away. "Get him away!"

"He wouldn't listen to reason! Hey, Walker! Walker I had no choice!" Davidson said as Don loaded him into the backseat of the SUV.

Walker ignored him as he stared at the shield and then he threw it violently away and started to walk away.

Don drove away and Espa drove forward from where she had been watching the whole affair. Don had wanted her to go home, but she knew Walker should not be alone. She looked at the lone figure as he dropped onto a police car and put his head is his hands.

She drove up. "Gary?" She asked getting out of her car.

He looked up at her, his eyes tear stained and his face haggard. "Dr. Eppes, Espa…what are you…what are you doing here?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"Checking on you." She said walking to him. She touched his arm softly.

"Didn't your husband want you home?"

"Yeah, well, I hardly ever do what he thinks I need to do." She smiled a little. She touched his face. "He was a good friend wasn't he…the man who killed Everett?"

"I thought he was…" He took a shaky breath. "Look, I'm not used to showing…this…type of stuff to people." He swallowed and looked down.

She smiled. "I know. My husband is the same way. Come on, let's go. I'll drop you off at your house…maybe we can get a couple of beers for you to relax. Maybe some dinner."

He looked at her. "Eppes is right. You are the best wife I have ever met." He half smiled. "All right." He got up and she straightened and waddled next to him. They got into her Honda and he let out a long breath. He looked at her. "Thanks." He said.

She looked at him and smiled. "I look after my own." She said and started to drive away.

NUMB3RS

Charlie came home to his dad fixing up the living room where he had set up all his stuff. Alan asked him if he had a backup for the computer in the garage that caused Charlie to run to check on it. Alan chuckled to himself because he was kidding.

NUMB3RS

Espa had arrived home after a talk with Walker and making sure he was all right. Don was surprised he had come home before she did. She did not say a word about it and ignored his questioning look as he sat in the hall with the girls coloring on their papers.

She only offered a smile and 'hi' to him as she looked about and stretched a little. She set about cleaning up toys scattered around and then went to the kitchen to start dinner.

Don watched her and then got up and followed her in his stocking feet. She was making spaghetti sauce and slicing mushrooms when he came into the kitchen. "Sweetheart, you okay?" He asked as he stood with his arms folded watching her.

"Fine." She smiled looking back at him a moment. She turned back to her task.

"You sure?" He asked letting his hands drop. He walked up behind her. "Hey…" He said feeling her lean back. "There is my wife…" He smiled. He bent and kissed her neck as his hands skimmed down her back and around to her full belly. "I love you." He whispered in her ear.

"I know." She smiled. She finished and turned in his arms. "I love you." She said. She leaned up and kissed him as his hands wandered down her back. He felt the baby move within her against his hip and smiled. "Well, I have tomorrow off." He said brightly.

"I don't…but I only have one class." She smiled looking at him. "Want me to cancel it and then we can be a family for a day?"

"Well, I was thinking have the kids go to daycare and we could be together." He said.

She put the mushrooms in the pot. "That sounds great." She said with a smile.

Don sat back to watch her cook. When she finally could let it simmer she joined him in the breakfast nook. He lifted her knee and placed her foot in his lap forcing her to lean against the wall. He gently caressed her swollen ankles and tired feet.

She sighed in pleasure and her eyes closed as he rubbed first one foot and then the other. He was remised in his duties as a husband. He smiled and felt pleasure in her pleasure. It would be a wonderful night for them to talk and enjoy each others company.

NUMB3RS

Don woke and took the kids to daycare while his wife still slept. She had called in sick in an email to the receptionist the night before. He had returned to her and they relaxed not really wanting to face the world until noon.

They decided to look in on Walker. Walker was not at his home and he had called into work. Espa called him and found out he was heading to the cemetery to have one last drink with Everett.

They walked to the middle of the graveyard carefully walking around the headstones as they spotted Walker standing near a grave.

Don and Espa walked up to him. "Hey." Don greeted.

Walker had poured a measure into a shot glass and held it out. He downed it and then took a breath as he let it burn his throat. "Hey." He said finally. He offered the bottle to Don as he looked down. "I got plenty in the bottle here."

Don took it. "I can see that." Don said quietly.

"I'd offer Espa some, but…with the baby…"

"Yeah, sucks for her." Don said trying to make a joke to cheer up Gary.

"Three hundred bucks." Gary said pointing. "He would have appreciated it."

"Hey, Gary, there was nothing you could've done." Don said gently. "I mean, look, I know that, you know that."

"We'd both be lying to ourselves if we said that, Eppes." Walker said looking at him. He looked at Espa. He sighed and Don took a slow breath knowing he was right. "Seventeen years. It was right there under my nose." He said quietly as he poured another measure and poured it on the grave. "I just couldn't see it."

Espa reached and touched his sleeve softly. "You always look for the best in the people you know and love." She said.

He nodded and half smiled at her. "He was a funny kid. He always walked around with this goofy grin." Walker said remembering. "I remember he had this little red radio that he used to play, and there was one song that he….that he really liked to listen to, and I…"

He sighed and looked at Don who was listening patiently. Espa cocked her head listening to him tell about Everett. That was what he should remember. "I just haven't been able to remember that song. I wish I could remember that song."

Espa smiled and touched his arm again before she started to walk slowly back to the SUV.

"Wasn't it you that said, 'At the end of the day, you go home safe, and that's all you can ask'?" Don asked.

"That's right Eppes." Walker nodded. "You…You walk away…it all works out." He said. He sighed. "You have a beautiful wife, Eppes." He said looking back. "Beautiful kids. Never go a day without saying you love them." He said watching Espa's pregnant figure walking through the grass as she walked by the graves. "Any day can be your last and they need to know." He took a deep breath.

Don passed the bottle back after having a swig of the amazingly smooth single malt scotch. He took a couple of steps away as Espa turned back to look at them. Both watched Gary Walker dump half the bottle onto the grave.

Walker turned and nodded to them as he walked away. Don looked back at the grave. He sighed and wondered if his wife would ever have to bury him. He decided not to think about that as he read the marker.

John Kevin Everett

August 15, 1967

May 7, 1990

They joined Espa and they all walked back to Don's SUV. It was a bittersweet day.


End file.
